| MATCHUP | Florida Panthers | Columbus Blue Jackets |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 30-28-3 | 31-21-8 |
| Spread | +1.5 -265 | -1.5 215 |
| Moneyline | -105 | -115 |
| Total | Over 6.5 (100) | Under 6.5 (-120) |
| Where | Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH | |
| When | Thursday, March 5, 2026 | |
| Time | 07:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
Columbus Blue Jackets Preview
The Blue Jackets have 70 points this season with a 31-21-8 record, and are 30-30 ATS and 28-28 in over/under. They have a 16-8-5 home record and a 15-13-3 road record and are sitting 4th in the Metropolitan Division. They are coming off a 3-2 home win over the Predators, and their previous three games were a 5-4 road overtime win over the Rangers, a 4-3 home overtime loss to the Islanders, and a 4-2 road loss to the Bruins.
Offensively, the Blue Jackets are averaging 3.12 goals per game and are scoring 19.6% of their power play opportunities. Defensively, they are allowing 3.17 goals per game and are killing 77.2% of their opponent’s power plays.
Zach Werenski leads the Blue Jackets with 65 points and 20 goals, adding a team-high 45 assists. Jet Greaves is the starting goalie for the Blue Jackets, and he has a 19-12-7 record, with 2.65 GAA and .909 SV%. Elvis Merzlikins is the backup goalie and he has a 12-9-1 record, with 3.47 GAA and .887 SV%.
Florida Panthers Preview
The Panthers have 63 points this season with a 30-28-3 record, and are 23-38 ATS and 35-24 in over/under. They have a 16-14-3 home record and a 14-14-0 road record and are sitting 8th in the Atlantic Division. They are coming off a 5-1 road loss to the Devils, and their previous three games were a 5-4 road loss to the Islanders, a 3-2 home loss to the Sabres, and a 5-1 home win over the Maple Leafs.
Offensively, the Panthers are averaging 2.98 goals per game and are scoring 19.4% of their power play opportunities. Defensively, they are allowing 3.34 goals per game and are killing 82.4% of their opponent’s power plays.
Sam Reinhart leads the Panthers with 57 points and 28 goals, adding a team-high 29 assists. Sergei Bobrovsky is the starting goalie for the Panthers, and he has a 22-19-3 record, with 3.13 GAA and .873 SV%. Daniil Tarasov is the backup goalie and he has a 8-9-2 record, with 2.80 GAA and .903 SV%.
Florida Panthers @ Columbus Blue Jackets Betting Trends: March 5, 2026
Why the Columbus Blue Jackets will win
- The Panthers have lost seven of their last eight road games against opponents on a winning streak.
- The Blue Jackets have won each of their last eight games as favorites following a win.
- The Panthers have failed to cover the puck line in nine of their last 10 games.
- The Blue Jackets have covered the puck line in seven of their last eight games as favorites following a win.
- The Panthers have lost the third period in nine of their last 10 road games against opponents on a winning streak.
Why the Florida Panthers will win
- The Panthers have won each of their last nine games against the Blue Jackets.
- The Blue Jackets have lost three of their last four games as home favorites against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The Panthers have covered the puck line in 15 of their last 16 games as underdogs following a road loss.
- The Blue Jackets have failed to cover the puck line in 11 of their last 12 games as favorites against Atlantic Division opponents.
- The Panthers have won the second period in 10 of their last 11 night games against the Blue Jackets when leading after the first period.
Total Goals Facts
- Each of the Blue Jackets’ last seven games against opponents on a losing streak have gone UNDER the total goals line.
- Seven of the Panthers’ last eight games against Metropolitan Division opponents have gone OVER the total goals line.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in each of the Panthers’ last 16 games against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in nine of the Blue Jackets’ last 10 games following a win.
Columbus Blue Jackets Player Prop Facts
- Adam Fantilli has scored a goal in each of the Blue Jackets’ last four games.
- Zach Werenski has recorded at least one assist in 12 of his last 13 appearances with the Blue Jackets as favorites against Eastern Conference opponents.
- Kirill Marchenko ranks T1st in the league for shootout goals (5) this season.
Florida Panthers Player Prop Facts
- Matthew Tkachuk has scored at least one goal in 10 of his last 12 appearances against the Blue Jackets.
- Sam Reinhart has recorded at least one assist in eight of the Panthers’ last nine games against the Blue Jackets.
- Brad Marchand has recorded at least four shots in each of his last zero appearances – [longest/equal-longest] active streak in the league.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Columbus Blue Jackets rank T2nd in the league in short handed goals allowed this season (2).
- The Columbus Blue Jackets rank T2nd in the league for Period 1 goals allowed per game this season (0.72).
- The Florida Panthers rank 26th in the league for goals against per game this season (3.34).
- The Florida Panthers rank 8th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (82.38%).
Panthers vs Blue Jackets Prediction
The Panthers won their previous meeting against the Blue Jackets this season by 7-6 in overtime at home and have won their last 9 head-to-head meetings.
In this Panthers vs Blue Jackets Prediction, the Blue Jackets are coming as -115 home favorites. The Blue Jackets have more points this season and have been in excellent form lately, with an 8-2 record in their last 10 games and 4-1 in their last 5 games at home. On the flip side, the Panthers have been struggling, as they have three consecutive losses and are 2-8 in their last 10, while playing their third straight game on the road. I cannot go against Columbus right now, especially with how much Florida is struggling, so give me the Blue Jackets on the moneyline at home in a great price.