The Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Rangers meet Sunday in NHL action from Madison Square Garden. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Columbus Blue Jackets vs. New York Rangers prediction.
Matchup History
The New York Rangers have won the first meeting between these two teams, first with a 1-0 shootout win at MSG back on January 18th, 2025, before a 4-3 win in Columbus back on February 8th, 2025. The win made it 7 wins in the last 9 head-to-head meetings between these two teams.
Columbus Blue Jackets Recap
The Columbus Blue Jackets come into this game looking to bounce back from a 3-0 loss at the hands of the Florida Panthers last time out to sit at 30-24-8 on the year. After this game, Columbus will head on the road again to take on the New Jersey Devils.
Blue Jackets Drop Back-To-Back Games
Zach Werenski leads the Blue Jackets in scoring with 66 points including 20 goals and a team-high 46 assists while Kirill Marchenko has 60 points with a team-high 24 goals and 36 assists. Sean Monahan has 41 points with 14 goals and 27 assists while Dmitri Voronkov has 40 points with 20 goals and 20 assists. Kent Johnson has 43 points with 20 goals and 23 assists. Daniil Tarasov is 6-7-2 with a 3.58 GAA and an .881 save percentage while Elvis Merzlikins is 22-18-4 with a 2.99 GAA and an .897 save percentage this season between the pipes for Columbus. Jet Greaves has also gone 2-1-2 with a 2.98 GAA and a .906 save percentage as well for the Blue Jackets.
Why the Columbus Blue Jackets will win
- The Blue Jackets have won each of their last three games as underdogs against opponents on a losing streak.
- The Rangers have lost each of their last three games as home favorites against opponents on a losing streak.
- The Blue Jackets have covered the puck line in each of their last four games against opponents on a losing streak.
- The Rangers have failed to cover the puck line in five of their last six games as home favorites against opponents on a losing streak.
Columbus Blue Jackets Player Prop Facts
- Kent Johnson has scored a goal in each of the Blue Jackets’ last three games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- Kent Johnson has recorded at least one point in nine of the Blue Jackets’ last 10 road games against opponents who are playing on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- Sean Monahan has recorded at least one assist in five of his last six appearances at Madison Square Garden.
- Zach Werenski ranks 1st in the league for average time on ice (26:58) this season.
New York Rangers Recap
The New York Rangers come into this game looking to bounce back from a 4-3 OT loss at the hands of the Ottawa Senators last time out to sit at 31-26-6 on the year. After this game, the Rangers will head on the road to start a road trip against the Winnipeg Jets.
Rangers Lose Back-To-Back Games
Artemi Panarin has a team-high 66 points with 27 goals and 39 assists while Alexis Lafreniere has 35 points with 14 goals and 21 assists on the year. Adam Fox has 43 assists while Mika Zibanejad has 45 points with 14 goals and 31 assists and Will Cuylle added 34 points with 17 goals and 17 assists. Vincent Trocheck also chipped in 40 points with 17 goals and 23 assists for the Rangers this season. In goal for the Rangers, Igor Shesterkin is 21-21-4 with a 2.89 GAA and a .905 save percentage while Jonathan Quick is 9-5-2 with a 2.92 GAA and a .903 save percentage this season. Louis Domingue is also 1-0 with a 2.00 GAA and a .926 save percentage so far this season.
Why the New York Rangers will win
- The Rangers have won each of their last eight Sunday night games at Madison Square Garden.
- The Blue Jackets have lost 10 of their last 11 road games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Rangers have covered the puck line in 14 of their last 15 games after coming off overtime.
New York Rangers Player Prop Facts
- Artemi Panarin has scored a goal in each of the Rangers’ last four games.
- Artemi Panarin has recorded at least one assist in each of the Rangers’ last eight Sunday night home games.
- Artemi Panarin has recorded at least one point in each of his last 13 home appearances after playing less than 20 minutes the previous day.
- Will Cuylle recorded an equal-career-high two points in his last game against the Blue Jackets.
Total Goals Facts
- Thirteen of the Rangers’ last 14 home games against Eastern Conference opponents have gone UNDER the total goals line.
- Each of the Blue Jackets’ last six games as underdogs following a road loss has gone UNDER the total goals line.
- Six of the last eight games between two teams from the Metropolitan Division have gone OVER the total goals line.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in each of the Blue Jackets’ last 16 games against opponents on a losing streak.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in each of the Rangers’ last six games as favorites against opponents on a losing streak.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. New York Rangers Prediction
I’m looking at the Rangers in this game. I get the case to be made for an underdog in some spots and the Rangers are coming in on the back-to-back here. However, I still think that the Rangers are a solid enough team to bounce back on the quick turnaround, and while I like what the Blue Jackets have brought to the table, the fact of the matter is that the Blue Jackets have not been the same team on the road this season and it’s been evident in a lot of the results. Give me the Rangers here.