The Columbus Blue Jackets travel to Bridgestone Arena on Thursday night riding a hot streak that stands in stark contrast to the Nashville Predators' recent struggles.
Columbus arrives with seven wins in their last 10 games and momentum from a dominant 6-1 victory over the Islanders, while Nashville has managed just three wins over that same span despite a recent 5-1 bounce-back win against Dallas.
With the Blue Jackets favoured at -196 and both teams looking to establish early-season identity, this matchup pits Columbus' surging confidence against Nashville's desperate need for consistency at home.
Nashville Predators vs. Columbus Blue Jackets prediction: who will win?
For tonight's Nashville Predators vs Columbus Blue Jackets matchup, our predictive model gives the Blue Jackets a 67.5% chance of defeating the Predators.
Nashville Predators: 32.5% win probability
- Extended inactivity with zero games played creates rhythm and timing concerns
- Lack of competitive game experience while other teams have found early form
- Missing valuable early season data points that help establish line combinations and systems
Columbus Blue Jackets: 67.5% win probability
- Fresh legs advantage with zero games played while Nashville remains idle
- No early season struggles or momentum loss to overcome
- Clean slate approach allows for tactical flexibility without recent performance baggage
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.
Predators vs. Blue Jackets Odds
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Nashville Predators vs. Columbus Blue Jackets preview
The Blue Jackets arrive in Nashville riding a six-game winning streak that has completely transformed their season trajectory, capped by a dominant 6-1 dismantling of the Islanders where Zach Werenski tallied two points and backup Jet Greaves stopped 36 of 37 shots.
Meanwhile, the Predators are stuck in a concerning spiral, dropping seven of their last ten games despite a recent 5-1 victory over Dallas that saw five different players find the net behind Jonathan Marchessault's leadership.
Columbus has found their offensive rhythm at the perfect time, averaging nearly four goals per game over their last ten while their penalty kill has been nearly flawless at 94.4%.
The goaltending matchup features a fascinating contrast as Elvis Merzlikins looks to build on his recent solid play against Juuse Saros, who despite his stellar reputation has struggled with consistency this season.
Sean Monahan continues to pace the Blue Jackets offense with 13 points in his last ten games, while Nashville will lean heavily on Ryan O'Reilly and Filip Forsberg to spark a turnaround against a Columbus defense that has tightened considerably during this hot streak.
This clash between a surging road team and a home squad desperate to find answers could hinge on which version of the Predators shows up at Bridgestone Arena.
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