Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins Preview & Picks - 1/17/2026
Updated July 9, 2026
The Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins will face off on Saturday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. The Penguins come in as slight favorites, while the Blue Jackets look to keep their momentum going under coach Rick Bowness after three consecutive wins. Can the Blue Jackets stop Sidney Crosby and the Pens to get a fourth win in a row? Keep reading right here to get my Blue Jackets vs Penguins prediction in the NHL.
Pick: | Penguins ML ATS PRO |
Confidence: | 3/5 |
The Blue Jackets have been playing well lately, capturing wins in their last three outings, including a 4-1 triumph over the Canucks in which Kirill Marchenko and Kent Johnson each had a goal and an assist. Under new leadership, the Jackets have put together a respectable run of results, and they will try to build on those results here. The Penguins just snapped a three-game skid with a solid 6-3 victory over the Flyers on Thursday. Pittsburgh was led by Sidney Crosby’s goal and assist in that game. Now the Penguins will focus their attention on ending the winning streak of Columbus.
Elvis Merzlikins has recently steadied the ship in the Blue Jackets’ crease, recording a 30-save night against Vancouver. He is expected to get the start for the Jackets again in this game. Pittsburgh’s goaltending situation has seen contributions from Stuart Skinner in recent starts with strong save totals, and Skinner is expected to suit up between the pipes in this matchup.
Sidney Crosby continues to be the marquee threat for Pittsburgh with over 50 points on the season, consistently producing offensively and elevating the Penguins’ attack. Bryan Rust and contributors such as Egor Chinakhov have added some much-needed help beyond the top line. For Columbus, players like Marchenko, Johnson, and Charlie Coyle have provided goals and playmaking ability recently. The Jackets have found ways to spread their scoring around to several sources, which could pressure Pittsburgh’s defense if they can do it again.
Score Projection: Penguins 4 – Blue Jackets 3 ATS PRO
Win Probability: Penguins 61%, Blue Jackets 39% ATS PRO
Columbus is playing at a high level recently. But I'm expecting the Penguins to get a win on home ice in this contest. Expect the Pens to slow down the red-hot attack of Columbus and for Pittsburgh to get a win to keep themselves in the top three in the Metropolitan Division.
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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