PIT Penguins vs CLB Blue Jackets Prediction: the guests won’t lose

Prediction for the NHL match which will take place on January 8. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

Pittsburgh is having a good season. Mike Sullivan has at his disposal not the most top hockey players, extremely old, but even with them the coach gives results. At the moment, the Penguins are one step away from the playoff zone - they are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings with 41 points. Overall, they have a good chance at the Wild Card, but they need to add more. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, started 2025 very badly, losing three games in a row - 2:4 to Detroit, 2:3 to Florida in a shootout, and 3:4 to Carolina in overtime.

Columbus also shines on the wild card, but needs to improve. With 40 points in the asset the Jackets are in 11th position in the overall Eastern Conference table. That said, Dean Evason does not have some flashy lineup at his disposal, and yet there is a result. The Blue Jackets have four wins in the same six previous games, and that's very solid. The day before, Columbus had a great game, showing their best offensively - they managed to beat St. Louis 6:4.

We don't think that Pittsburgh is waiting for some easy ride in this meeting. We don't think the Penguins are even fairly in the status of favorites in the upcoming battle. Columbus is good, and they should be given credit for four wins in the past six games. At the same time, they have three straight defeats. Moreover, the guests had a day more rest. We offer a bet on their non-loss at the end of the main time.