Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction & Picks - NHL
USA - NHL
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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.
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Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins Form
Table
| Teams | Pts | P | W | L | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
10
|
98 | 1867 | 34 | 25 | +25 |
|
16
|
92 | 3142 | 28 | 30 | 0 |
Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins Latest Matches
4/6 (67%)
2/6 (33%)
Jan 3, 2026 - NHL
Dec 31, 2025 - NHL
Dec 29, 2025 - NHL
Dec 28, 2025 - NHL
Dec 22, 2025 - NHL
Dec 20, 2025 - NHL
3/6 (50%)
3/6 (50%)
Jan 3, 2026 - NHL
Dec 31, 2025 - NHL
Dec 28, 2025 - NHL
Dec 18, 2025 - NHL
Dec 16, 2025 - NHL
Dec 13, 2025 - NHL
2/6 (33%)
4/6 (67%)
Dec 29, 2025 - NHL
Dec 22, 2025 - NHL
Dec 20, 2025 - NHL
Dec 9, 2025 - NHL
Dec 7, 2025 - NHL
Dec 6, 2025 - NHL
5/6 (83%)
1/6 (17%)
Jan 3, 2026 - NHL
Jan 1, 2026 - NHL
Dec 30, 2025 - NHL
Dec 28, 2025 - NHL
Dec 23, 2025 - NHL
Dec 21, 2025 - NHL
3/6 (50%)
3/6 (50%)
Jan 1, 2026 - NHL
Dec 30, 2025 - NHL
Dec 21, 2025 - NHL
Dec 16, 2025 - NHL
Dec 14, 2025 - NHL
Dec 13, 2025 - NHL
2/6 (33%)
4/6 (67%)
Jan 3, 2026 - NHL
Dec 28, 2025 - NHL
Dec 23, 2025 - NHL
Dec 20, 2025 - NHL
Dec 18, 2025 - NHL
Dec 7, 2025 - NHL
Columbus Blue Jackets against Pittsburgh Penguins : Head to Head (H2H)
50 %
50 %
Nov 28, 2025 - NHL
Oct 25, 2025 - NHL
Jan 7, 2025 - NHL
Nov 15, 2024 - NHL
Mar 28, 2024 - NHL
Dec 12, 2019 - NHL
Players list
J. Greaves
E. Merzlikins
J. Christiansen
D. Mateychuk
D. Severson
D. Fabbro
I. Provorov
Z. Werenski
K. Marchenko
Z. Aston-Reese
D. Voronkov
A. Fantilli
C. Sillinger
K. Johnson
M. Marchment
M. Olivier
B. Gaunce
C. Coyle
B. Jenner
D. Heinen
A. Silovs
S. Skinner
J. St. Ivany
R. Shea
E. Karlsson
K. Letang
B. Kulak
P. Wotherspoon
S. Crosby
C. Dewar
J. Brazeau
E. Chinakhov
V. Koivunen
B. Lizotte
R. Rakell
B. Rust
A. Mantha
N. Acciari
T. Novak
B. Kindel
Most goals and assists
Columbus Blue Jackets
Pittsburgh Penguins
A. Mantha
(33 Goals)
Z. Werenski
(59 Assists)
E. Karlsson
(53 Assists)
Columbus Blue Jackets - Pittsburgh Penguins Key Points
- Since the start of last season, the teams have met in five regular-season contests, with Columbus winning three of the clashes.
- The Blue Jackets own a 9-7-3 home record, winning only four times at Nationwide Arena since the start of December.
- The Penguins have improved to 10-6-4 on the road with back-to-back wins.
- Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has racked up five points (two goals, three assists) in his first two appearances in 2026.
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Our Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins 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.
All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
