Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction & Picks - NHL

USA - NHL

Pittsburgh Penguins
1/4/26 15:00
Columbus Blue Jackets

Prediction:

 

Penguins to win

+116
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 by Taavi Pailk in NHL Picks

Two Metropolitan Division foes, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets, meet for the third time this season on Sunday at Nationwide Arena.

The Blue Jackets have just accomplished a feat that hadn’t occurred in almost a month in the NHL: defeating the Buffalo Sabres. On Saturday, Zach Werenski returned from a four-game absence and had two assists in Columbus’ 5-1 victory over Buffalo. Werenski became the first defenseman in Blue Jackets history to post multiple points in four straight appearances.

Containing Werenski will be one of the keys to victory for the Penguins, who defeated the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. Sidney Crosby registered two assists as Pittsburgh extended its winning run to four games with a 4-1 triumph in Detroit.

Crosby’s crew had an awful eight-game losing streak last month, but the team has rebounded well from the setback, going 5-1-0 over its last six games. Meanwhile, Columbus boasts a 4-1-0 record in its last five contests. Even with Werenski out of the lineup, the team put together some impressive performances late in 2025.

The first two meetings between the teams were nail-biters, with Pittsburgh winning 4-3 in overtime and Columbus 5-4 in a shootout. Both teams won on the road, and Columbus will hope to end that trend on Sunday.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets Form

Table

Teams Pts P W L GD
9
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
51 44 21 23 5
16
Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
45 45 19 26 -18

Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets Latest Matches

Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins Latest matches
W L W W W W
Victories

5/6 (83%)

Defeats

1/6 (17%)

Jan 3, 2026 - NHL

Pittsburgh Penguins
4 :  1
Detroit Red Wings

Jan 1, 2026 - NHL

Detroit Red Wings
3 :  4
Pittsburgh Penguins

Dec 30, 2025 - NHL

Carolina Hurricanes
1 :  5
Pittsburgh Penguins

Dec 28, 2025 - NHL

Pittsburgh Penguins
7 :  3
Chicago Blackhawks

Dec 23, 2025 - NHL

Pittsburgh Penguins
3 :  6
Toronto Maple Leafs

Dec 21, 2025 - NHL

Montreal Canadiens
3 :  4
Pittsburgh Penguins
L L L W W W
Victories

3/6 (50%)

Defeats

3/6 (50%)

Jan 1, 2026 - NHL

Detroit Red Wings
3 :  4
Pittsburgh Penguins

Dec 30, 2025 - NHL

Carolina Hurricanes
1 :  5
Pittsburgh Penguins

Dec 21, 2025 - NHL

Montreal Canadiens
3 :  4
Pittsburgh Penguins

Dec 16, 2025 - NHL

Edmonton Oilers
6 :  4
Pittsburgh Penguins

Dec 14, 2025 - NHL

Utah Mammoth
5 :  4
Pittsburgh Penguins

Dec 13, 2025 - NHL

San Jose Sharks
6 :  5
Pittsburgh Penguins
L L L L W W
Victories

2/6 (33%)

Defeats

4/6 (67%)

Jan 3, 2026 - NHL

Pittsburgh Penguins
4 :  1
Detroit Red Wings

Dec 28, 2025 - NHL

Pittsburgh Penguins
7 :  3
Chicago Blackhawks

Dec 23, 2025 - NHL

Pittsburgh Penguins
3 :  6
Toronto Maple Leafs

Dec 20, 2025 - NHL

Pittsburgh Penguins
0 :  4
Montreal Canadiens

Dec 18, 2025 - NHL

Pittsburgh Penguins
0 :  4
Ottawa Senators

Dec 7, 2025 - NHL

Pittsburgh Penguins
2 :  3
Dallas Stars
Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets Latest matches
L W W W L W
Victories

4/6 (67%)

Defeats

2/6 (33%)

Jan 3, 2026 - NHL

Buffalo Sabres
1 :  5
Columbus Blue Jackets

Dec 31, 2025 - NHL

New Jersey Devils
3 :  2
Columbus Blue Jackets

Dec 29, 2025 - NHL

Columbus Blue Jackets
4 :  1
Ottawa Senators

Dec 28, 2025 - NHL

New York Islanders
2 :  4
Columbus Blue Jackets

Dec 22, 2025 - NHL

Columbus Blue Jackets
3 :  1
Los Angeles Kings

Dec 20, 2025 - NHL

Columbus Blue Jackets
3 :  4
Anaheim Ducks
L W L W L W
Victories

3/6 (50%)

Defeats

3/6 (50%)

Jan 3, 2026 - NHL

Buffalo Sabres
1 :  5
Columbus Blue Jackets

Dec 31, 2025 - NHL

New Jersey Devils
3 :  2
Columbus Blue Jackets

Dec 28, 2025 - NHL

New York Islanders
2 :  4
Columbus Blue Jackets

Dec 18, 2025 - NHL

Minnesota Wild
5 :  2
Columbus Blue Jackets

Dec 16, 2025 - NHL

Anaheim Ducks
3 :  4
Columbus Blue Jackets

Dec 13, 2025 - NHL

Vegas Golden Knights
3 :  2
Columbus Blue Jackets
L L L L W W
Victories

2/6 (33%)

Defeats

4/6 (67%)

Dec 29, 2025 - NHL

Columbus Blue Jackets
4 :  1
Ottawa Senators

Dec 22, 2025 - NHL

Columbus Blue Jackets
3 :  1
Los Angeles Kings

Dec 20, 2025 - NHL

Columbus Blue Jackets
3 :  4
Anaheim Ducks

Dec 9, 2025 - NHL

Columbus Blue Jackets
1 :  4
Carolina Hurricanes

Dec 7, 2025 - NHL

Columbus Blue Jackets
0 :  2
Washington Capitals

Dec 6, 2025 - NHL

Columbus Blue Jackets
6 :  7
Florida Panthers

Pittsburgh Penguins against Columbus Blue Jackets : Head to Head (H2H)

Pittsburgh Penguins

50 %

Columbus Blue Jackets

50 %

Nov 28, 2025 - NHL

Pittsburgh Penguins
4 :  3
Columbus Blue Jackets

Oct 25, 2025 - NHL

Columbus Blue Jackets
5 :  4
Pittsburgh Penguins

Mar 21, 2025 - NHL

Columbus Blue Jackets
3 :  6
Pittsburgh Penguins

Jan 7, 2025 - NHL

Columbus Blue Jackets
4 :  3
Pittsburgh Penguins

Nov 15, 2024 - NHL

Pittsburgh Penguins
2 :  6
Columbus Blue Jackets

Mar 28, 2024 - NHL

Columbus Blue Jackets
2 :  3
Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Penguins - Columbus Blue Jackets Key Points

  1. Since the start of last season, the teams have met in five regular-season contests, with Columbus winning three of the clashes.
  2. The Blue Jackets own a 9-7-3 home record, winning only four times at Nationwide Arena since the start of December.
  3. The Penguins have improved to 10-6-4 on the road with back-to-back wins.
  4. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has racked up five points (two goals, three assists) in his first two appearances in 2026.

Our Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction

The Penguins have five more points on the table and have performed slightly better than Columbus lately. Crosby has been on fire with a six-game point streak, and if he’s on his game, it’s very difficult to defeat Pittsburgh.

Dean Evason’s team impressed with a victory over Buffalo on Saturday, but the Blue Jackets have won back-to-back outings only five times this season. They have been very inconsistent, and starting a winning streak on Sunday is a challenging task.

Our prediction for Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets: Penguins to win.

Prediction:

 

Penguins to win

+116
$300 offered for betting!

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Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets Picks