Penguins vs. Blue Jackets prediction: Why Columbus is favored to win Friday's NHL matchup [10/9/2026]

Using powerful machine learning and data, we have re-simulated the result of Friday's NHL game between the Penguins and Blue Jackets, forming part of our NHL predictions coverage.

Our famous predictive model gives the Blue Jackets a 52.7% chance of beating the Penguins. According to our model, the Penguins (+1.5) have a 68.3% chance of covering the puck line, while the 6.5-goal over/under has a 52.2% chance of staying under.

Latest betting odds

We have sourced the best NHL odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

• Puck Line: Penguins +1.5 (-225) / Blue Jackets -1.5 (+210)
• Moneyline: Penguins +105, Blue Jackets -120
• Total: Over/Under 6.5 (-105/-110)

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Model picks and best bet

After matching our probabilities against the best current odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets in this matchup. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

• Puck line: Blue Jackets -1.5 @ +210 via FanDuel
• Moneyline: Penguins @ +105 via BetMGM
• Total: Under 6.5 @ -110 via BetMGM

According to our NHL best bets, the top play to make on this game is Under 6.5 total goals.

These picks are based on our probabilities matched against the implied probabilities from the current available odds.

Penguins vs. Blue Jackets player props

Who will score a goal in Penguins vs. Blue Jackets?

According to our model, Sidney Crosby is most likely to score an anytime goal in Penguins vs. Blue Jackets.

Our projections give Crosby a 32.6% chance of scoring a goal at Nationwide Arena, while the star is a 6.1% chance of registering the first goal the game.

Anytime goal scorer predictions

Pittsburgh Penguins

• Sidney Crosby: 32.6% probability
• Rickard Rakell: 29.8% probability
• Evgeni Malkin: 26.1% probability
• Egor Chinakhov: 25.4% probability
• Bryan Rust: 23.4% probability

Columbus Blue Jackets

• Adam Fantilli: 29.6% probability
• Zach Werenski: 27.9% probability
• Matthew Knies: 27.0% probability
• Mathieu Olivier: 23.8% probability
• Denton Mateychuk: 22.9% probability

First goal scorer predictions

Pittsburgh Penguins

• Sidney Crosby: 6.1% probability
• Rickard Rakell: 5.6% probability
• Egor Chinakhov: 4.7% probability
• Ben Kindel: 4.4% probability
• Evgeni Malkin: 4.3% probability

Columbus Blue Jackets

• Zach Werenski: 5.3% probability
• Matthew Knies: 5.1% probability
• Adam Fantilli: 5.0% probability
• Mathieu Olivier: 4.1% probability
• Charlie Coyle: 3.9% probability

Game info & puck drop details

Friday's matchup between the Blue Jackets and Penguins at Nationwide Arena is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM ET.

• Who: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
• Date: Friday, October 9, 2026
• Time: 7:00 PM ET/4:00PM PT
• Venue: Nationwide Arena

Conclusion

We predict the Blue Jackets, with a 52.7% win probability, will likely beat the Penguins in Friday's NHL matchup.

Additional tools and information for betting safely can be found in our Responsible Gambling hub.

This article's predictions and probabilities are generated by Dimers' proprietary NHL prediction model. Our editorial team reviews the resulting content for accuracy and presentation before publication.