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NHL PicksFri 7:00 PM ET
Pittsburgh Penguins logo
Pittsburgh
Penguins
2-0-0
versus
Columbus Blue Jackets logo
Columbus
Blue Jackets
0-0-0
NHL · PIT at CLM

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Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets Predictions October 9, 2026

Game time: October 9, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET

Venue: Nationwide Arena — Columbus, OH

Article updated Oct 8, 7:56 AM EDT

By SportsJaw Editorial Team

The Columbus Blue Jackets will beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in our Oct. 9 forecast, with Pittsburgh's defensive trouble in its latest game providing the strongest matchup reason. The Penguins' offensive response makes this a low-confidence pick, however. Neither the supplied puck line nor the 6.5-goal total offers a convincing betting edge, so the official SportsJaw wager is Pass.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets prediction and best bet

Columbus gets the narrow nod after Pittsburgh allowed five goals in its Oct. 7 loss at Washington. Penguins coach Dan Muse was unhappy with the first half and the chances his team conceded. That creates a plausible opening for the Blue Jackets, although it is a limited foundation for predicting how this matchup will unfold.

The pick is Columbus to win, with no official wager. Pittsburgh's three goals in Washington are a meaningful counterweight to its defensive concerns. A close contest fits the evidence better than a confident call for either a comfortable Columbus victory or a particular scoring environment.

Odds, game time and how to watch

Game: Pittsburgh Penguins at Columbus Blue Jackets, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in the 2026-27 NHL season.

Venue: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio.

Broadcast: ESPN+.

SportsJaw moneyline odds: Pittsburgh +115; Columbus -115.

SportsJaw puck line odds: Pittsburgh +1.5 (-335); Columbus -1.5 (+194).

SportsJaw total odds: Over 6.5 (-100); Under 6.5 (-122). Each market is assessed at these supplied prices below.

Pittsburgh Penguins outlook

Pittsburgh was 2-2-0 after its 5-3 defeat at Washington. Bryan Rust scored in his season debut after missing the first three regular-season games with an upper-body injury sustained in the Sept. 26 preseason finale. Tommy Novak and Nicholas Robertson supplied the Penguins' other goals.

Rust's immediate scoring contribution is the most encouraging personnel development. His return gives Pittsburgh another option, but it should not be treated as proof that the offense will improve by a predictable amount. Three different scorers in Washington offer a reason to keep the Penguins close in the forecast.

Andrei Kuzmenko's situation points the other way. In the Oct. 8 NHL status report, Muse expected him to continue skating with Pittsburgh but not play during the road trip continuing in Columbus. That expectation belongs in the outlook without turning it into a confirmed game-day lineup.

Columbus Blue Jackets outlook

Columbus is the home team and the slight moneyline favorite at -115. Those circumstances fit a narrow winner selection, but the price is not evidence of a specific advantage in scoring, special teams or goaltending. The Blue Jackets' case here rests chiefly on the opportunity presented by Pittsburgh's latest defensive performance.

The route to the projected win is to capitalize if Pittsburgh again concedes chances early. That is a matchup scenario, not an established Columbus strength. There is no current Blue Jackets performance detail here that warrants predicting sustained control or assigning a large winning margin.

Key matchup factors

The contrast within Pittsburgh's last game matters more than the final score alone. Muse criticized the first-half performance, while Rust described a better response in the second half. The forecast gives some weight to the defensive concern while recognizing that Pittsburgh also showed resistance.

Arturs Silovs made 22 saves against Washington. That is context for the previous game, not a starting-goaltender designation for Columbus. Without a confirmed matchup in net, there is no goalie-based adjustment strong enough to turn this slight Columbus preference into a confident betting position.

The central question is whether Pittsburgh's early problems repeat. If they do, Columbus has a path to the forecasted result. If the Penguins carry their stronger response into this game, the argument for the home favorite becomes substantially thinner.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets spread prediction

Spread recommendation: Pass Pittsburgh Penguins +1.5 (-335) and Pass Columbus Blue Jackets -1.5 (+194).

The projected one-goal Columbus win would put Pittsburgh inside the puck line. But matching a score forecast is only part of the decision: -335 requires a high degree of confidence in that cushion. This low-confidence outlook falls short of that standard.

Columbus -1.5 (+194) requires a win by at least two goals. The return is larger, but the forecast favors a narrower result. Pittsburgh's recent scoring supplies a credible counterargument to backing the Blue Jackets for that margin.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets total prediction

Total recommendation: Pass Over 6.5 (-100) and Pass Under 6.5 (-122).

Columbus 4, Pittsburgh 3 would finish above 6.5, so the editorial score points toward the Over. Pittsburgh's eight-goal game at Washington makes that outcome easy to envision, but one result should not carry an entire total assessment.

The Under needs its own affirmative case. A close winner selection does not necessarily mean a low-scoring game, and Pittsburgh's defensive concerns work against assuming one. Neither direction has a strong enough combination of matchup evidence and price to earn the official wager.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets projected score

Game forecast: Columbus Blue Jackets 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 3. Confidence: low. Pittsburgh's recent defensive difficulties tip the selection toward Columbus, while the Penguins' scoring response is the strongest reason the pick could miss.

The forecast selects Columbus decisively but describes a fragile edge. Both puck line sides and both total directions remain passes at the supplied prices. The single official SportsJaw betting lean is Pass.

SportsJawGame Predictions
Predicted score

PIT3

CLM4

Projected winner Columbus Blue JacketsConfidenceSlight Lean — Pittsburgh Penguins
Pick on the Spread

Slight Lean — Pittsburgh Penguins +1.5

Editorial pick at publication: Pass Pittsburgh Penguins +1.5 (-335) and Pass Columbus Blue Jackets -1.5 (+194)

Pick on the Total

Slight Lean — Over 6.5

Editorial pick at publication: Pass Over 6.5 (-100) and Pass Under 6.5 (-122)

Sources

  • NHL.comPrevious-game context: Wilson has 3 points, Capitals top Penguins in Ovechkin’s last home opener
  • NHL.comNHL Status Report: Rust activated by Penguins, makes season debut

SportsJaw Penguins vs Blue Jackets game preview analysis and predictions incorporate current odds, injury reports, team statistics and market data. Information is updated regularly, but lines and player availability can change. Please confirm current information before wagering. View history of past Penguins vs Blue Jackets matchups or learn how our predictions work.

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