The race for playoff positioning in the Metropolitan Division heats up as the New Jersey Devils welcome the surging Columbus Blue Jackets to the Prudential Center in what could be a season-defining matchup for both teams.
Columbus enters on a hot streak, having won five of their last seven games including a dominant 7-3 victory over the Rangers, while the injury-depleted Devils look to build momentum after snapping a three-game skid with their recent win over Philadelphia.
With just a four-point gap separating the third-place Devils from the wild-card-holding Blue Jackets, this matchup between a high-scoring Columbus offense (3.33 goals per game) and New Jersey's stingy defense (2.52 goals against) sets up an intriguing clash of styles at The Rock.
New Jersey Devils vs. Columbus Blue Jackets prediction: who will win?
For tonight's New Jersey Devils vs Columbus Blue Jackets matchup, our predictive model gives the Devils a 52.5% chance of defeating the Jackets.
Pre-game probabilities
New Jersey Devils
Moneyline
Win %
52.5%
47.5%
Columbus Blue Jackets
New Jersey Devils: 52.5% win probability
- Better defensive record (165 goals against vs Blue Jackets' 208)
- Higher points total (74 points vs 70 points)
- Superior win percentage (34 wins in 65 games vs 31 wins in 63 games)
Columbus Blue Jackets: 47.5% win probability
- Poor defensive performance (208 goals against, 8th worst in conference)
- Inconsistent road performance (lower points despite similar games played)
- Goal differential issues (-6 compared to Devils' +28)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts. Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts..
| New Jersey Devils | Columbus Blue Jackets | |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline |
New Jersey Devils vs. Columbus Blue Jackets preview
The Metropolitan Division heats up as the surging Columbus Blue Jackets head to Newark's Prudential Center to face the New Jersey Devils in what could be a pivotal matchup for playoff positioning.
Columbus comes in red-hot after demolishing the Rangers 7-3, with Adam Fantilli's hat trick highlighting their explosive offense that's been averaging over 3.3 goals per game.
The Devils, despite missing key players Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton to injuries, managed to snap a three-game skid with a gritty 3-1 win over Philadelphia, showcasing their league-leading penalty kill and fourth-ranked power play.
Keep an eye on Columbus's dynamic duo of Fantilli and Dmitri Voronkov, who've been clicking lately, while the Devils will lean on Dawson Mercer and Erik Haula to pick up the offensive slack.
The goaltending matchup pits Elvis Merzlikins against Jacob Markstrom in what could be a game-defining battle between the pipes.
With just four points separating these teams for the final guaranteed playoff spot in the division, and Columbus holding five wins in their last seven games, this matchup has all the makings of a classic Metropolitan showdown.
The Blue Jackets took the last meeting 4-2 back in December, but the Devils have dominated the overall series lately, winning six of the last ten encounters.
New Jersey Devils vs. Columbus Blue Jackets form
New Jersey Devils vs. Columbus Blue Jackets head to head
New Jersey Devils
67%
Columbus Blue Jackets
33%
Dec 20, 2024
Columbus Blue Jackets
4 : 2
New Jersey Devils
Jan 20, 2024
Columbus Blue Jackets
1 : 4
New Jersey Devils
Dec 28, 2023
New Jersey Devils
4 : 3
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dec 17, 2023
Columbus Blue Jackets
3 : 6
New Jersey Devils
Nov 24, 2023
New Jersey Devils
1 : 2
Columbus Blue Jackets
Apr 6, 2023
New Jersey Devils
8 : 1
Columbus Blue Jackets
