Columbus Blue Jackets vs Nashville Predators Prediction - 10/9/2025
Updated July 9, 2026
The Columbus Blue Jackets will start their season on the road as they take on the Nashville Predators on Thursday night. Both of these teams missed the playoffs a season ago and will try to get a win that they hope will matter to their playoff hopes in the long run this year. Before the puck drops in Nashville, continue reading to get my Blue Jackets vs Predators prediction for this contest.
Odds | Line |
|---|---|
Moneyline | Columbus +105 | Nashville −125 |
Puckline | Columbus +1.5 (–265) | Nashville −1.5 (+190) |
Over/Under | 6.5 |
Columbus ended 2024-25 with +5 goal differential (273 goals for, 268 goals against) and a 40–33–9 record. They missed out on the playoffs by just two points and will try to get there this season. Nashville struggled last season, especially offensively, finishing with only 214 goals scored (2.61 per game) and a -60 goal differential. If the Preds want to have a better season this year, it will start with finding a spark offensively.
Nashville will likely ride with Juuse Saros in net to start this season. He had a losing record last year and will try to kickstart a stronger 2025-26 campaign by shutting down the Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzļikins is expected to get the start in net for the Jackets in this season opener. He will need to be sharp, particularly in controlling rebounds so as not to give up scoring chances to the Preds.
Columbus was led by Kirill Marchenko and Zach Werenski last season. That duo combined for over 150 points and will have a lot to do with the team's success again this year. The addition of Dante Fabbro, who is familiar with Nashville’s system, could help Columbus anticipate and counter the Predators’ gameplan.
Roman Josi anchors the defense for Nashville with his ability to skate the line and create offense. Up front, Filip Forsberg remains the primary threat, supported by Ryan O’Reilly’s two-way reliability and the newly signed Luke Evangelista. The Preds will also hope to get something out of veteran center Steven Stamkos.
Player | Stat Type | Pick |
|---|---|---|
Adam Fantilli | Points | Over 0.5 |
Kirill Marchenko | Goals | Over 0.5 |
Filip Forsberg | Assists | Over 0.5 |
Score Projection: Columbus 4 – Nashville 3
Win Probability: Columbus 52% | Nashville 48%
The Columbus Blue Jackets finished last year's regular season playing some of the best hockey in the NHL. They had won six games in a row and built a ton of positivity to carry into this year. While the Jackets might not put together another extended winning streak, I do think that they will come away with the win on the road to open this season. I think there is some value in backing the Jackets as a slight underdog on Thursday night.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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