Columbus Blue Jackets vs Carolina Hurricanes Prediction, Preview and Odds - 01/23/2025

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Thursday, January 23, 2025

Venue:  Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC

Where to Watch:  ESPN+

DraftKings:  Moneyline:  Blue Jackets +260, Hurricanes -325; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

Bet365:  Moneyline:  Blue Jackets +260, Hurricanes -325; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

BetMGM:  Moneyline:  Blue Jackets +260, Hurricanes -325; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

Columbus Blue Jackets:  22-18-7 (4th place, Metropolitan Division)

Carolina Hurricanes:  29-16-3 (2nd place, Metropolitan Division)

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Columbus Blue Jackets:  7-2-1 last 10

Carolina Hurricanes:  6-3-1 last 10

The Blue Jackets are entering this game with 51 points, a 22-18-7 record overall, and they are 6-13-4 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the New York Islanders in their last game, losing that one on the road 3-1, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs still to be played on Wednesday night. In their game against the Islanders, Kent Johnson scored 1 goal for them in that one. Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov each led the team in assists with 1 while Kent Johnson led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Elvis Merzļikins was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 25 shots with 22 saves and a .880 save percentage. Their offense has scored 157 goals this season averaging 3.3 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 158 goals against them allowing 3.3 goals per game.

The Hurricanes are entering this game with 61 points, a 29-16-3 record overall, and they are 18-5-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Dallas Stars in their last game, winning that one on the road 2-1. Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored 2 goals for them in that one. Martin Nečas led the team in assists with 2 while Sean Walker led the team in shots on net in that game with 6. Pyotr Kochetkov was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 1 goal on 23 shots with 22 saves and a .957 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 158 goals this season averaging 3.3 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 133 goals against them allowing 2.8 goals per game.

The current betting odds have the Hurricanes listed as a big favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Hurricanes have looked really good in their games this season with their 29-16-3 record overall which has them in 2nd place of their division in the East. They have looked great on home ice this year with their 18-5-1 home record too. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets have looked good in their games this season with their 22-18-7 record overall which has them in 4th place of their division in the East and getting themselves into playoff contention. They have been climbing up the standings lately and have looked really good, going 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, but they have still looked terrible in their road games all season with their 6-13-4 road record. They have been a really different team in road games this year and the Hurricanes will be able to take advantage of that since they play their best on home ice. The Hurricanes have also looked good lately with their 6-3-1 record in their last 10 games and they are coming off a really nice road win over the Stars in their last one. The Blue Jackets lost some momentum in their last one though, losing on the road to the Islanders, and they aren't in a good situation here since they still have to play the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, playing this game on a back-to-back. The best way to place a bet here is on the Hurricanes to win this game and on the puckline. 

Blue Jackets Hurricanes Prediction:  Our NHL Pick for Thursday, January 23, 2025 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Hurricanes 5 Blue Jackets 1.

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Columbus Blue Jackets: 73-136 (-26.3 units) on the moneyline in all games. 5-36 (-23.3 units) on the moneyline as a road underdog of +200 to +300. 39-83 (-12.6 units) on the moneyline against explosive offensive teams - scoring 3+ goals/game. 35-22 UNDER versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 0.5+ goals/game. 

Carolina Hurricanes: 82-37 (+9.9 units) on the moneyline in home games. 39-20 (+7.8 units) on the moneyline revenging a same season loss vs opponent. 88-55 (+6.7 units) on the moneyline against explosive offensive teams - scoring 3+ goals/game. 55-31 UNDER in a home game where the total is 6 or more.

Columbus Blue Jackets:  D. Mateychuk (D) Day To Day - Illness. Y. Chinakhov (RW) Out - Upper Body. E. Gudbranson (D) Out - Shoulder. S. Monahan (C) Out - Wrist. B. Jenner (C) Out - Shoulder.

Carolina Hurricanes:  W. Carrier (LW) Out - Lower Body. T. Jost (C) Out - Lower Body. J. Fast (RW) Out For Season - Neck.

“(It’s) almost the perfect line. You’ve got a big, strong guy that goes to the net (in the 6-foot-5, 227-pound Voronkov). You’ve got a guy that plays hard, that is good on faceoffs, good defensively, good passer (in Monahan). And then you’ve got a goal-scorer that competes his butt off (in Marchenko).” - Dean Evason on his first line this season. 

“It really never did. They weren't giving much and we were ahead and so we were fine with it, but then you kill a penalty and then they score right at the end of it. Like that was a real tough kind of sequence, but then next shift, we were able to get a break to answer it. That's your game right there.” - Rod Brind’Amour after his team’s win against the Stars in their game on Tuesday.

LW Dmitri Voronkov

C Adam Fantilli

RW Kirill Marchenko

LD Zach Werenski

RD Dante Fabbro

G Elvis Merzlikins

LW Andrei Svechnikov

C Sebastian Aho

RW Jackson Blake

LD Jaccob Slavin

RD Brent Burns

G Frederik Andersen

Points: Z. Werenski (51)

Goals: K. Marchenko (18)

Assists: Z. Werenski (36)

GAA: E. Merzlikins (3.06)

Points: M. Necas (54)

Goals: J. Roslovic (17)

Assists: M. Necas (38)

GAA: F. Andersen (1.78)

Coaches:

Columbus Blue Jackets: Dean Evason (1st season)

Carolina Hurricanes: Rod Brind'Amour (7th season)