Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Picks and Prediction for Friday, November 28, 2025
Pittsburgh Penguins (11-6-5) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (11-9-4)
The NHL betting action is back with a massive 15-game card on Black Friday, including the Metropolitan Division showdown at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH, so we have prepared the Penguins vs. Blue Jackets prediction to get you covered.
Pittsburgh meets Columbus for the second time this season. Last month, the Blue Jackets outlasted the Penguins 5-4 in a shootout at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Columbus was a slight +100 road dog with a total of 6.5 goals.
The Blue Jackets are -154 home favorites this time around, while the total is set at 6.5 goals once more. Let’s take a closer look at this Penguins vs. Blue Jackets prediction, one of our NHL picks for Friday’s slate. The puck drop at Nationwide Arena is set at 7:00 PM ET.
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The Penguins hope to stabilize their form
The Pittsburgh Penguins have dropped five of their previous eight games overall, going 3-2-3 in the process. They just finished a three-game homestand with a 1-1-1 record. After a 5-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild and a 3-2 overtime defeat against the Seattle Kraken, the Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 this past Wednesday.
Buffalo outshot Pittsburgh 31-19, but Tristan Jarry had a big game in the crease. Jarry posted 29 saves and advanced to 6-2-0 on the season. It was his first start in eight games due to a lower-body injury, and Jarry now holds a solid 2.53 GAA and a .914 save percentage. He’s expected to guard the cage against Columbus on Friday night.
Pittsburgh’s defense is one of the most pleasant surprises of the season. The Penguins allow just 2.59 goals per game (3rd in the NHL) and score 3.09 goals in return (tied for 13th). They lead the league in power-play percentage (31.4%) and rank fifth in penalty killing (85.2%). The Pens are still without winger Justin Brazeau, who’s recorded six goals and six assists across 12 games this season.
The Blue Jackets hope to snap their three-game skid
The Columbus Blue Jackets have only won one of their previous five games overall, going 1-2-2 in the process. They are winless in three straight outings, having suffered defeats against the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in overtime, the Washington Capitals 5-1, and the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 in overtime.
Last Wednesday, the Blue Jackets outshot the Maple Leafs 36-24. Columbus took the lead with 6:30 remaining in the third period, as Zach Werenski scored his eighth goal of the season, but the Jackets couldn’t hold on. Jet Greaves yielded two goals on 24 shots, falling to 7-4-4 on the season. Greaves has a 2.74 GAA and a .905 save percentage.
The Blue Jackets allow 3.21 goals per game (tied for 21st in the NHL) and score 2.79 goals in return (tied for 24th). They are 25th in the league in power-play percentage (16.1%) and 27th in penalty killing (74.6%). The Jackets cannot count on center Boone Jenner (G3, A7), while wingers Kirill Marchenko (G8, A14) and Mathieu Olivier (G3, A6) are both questionable for Friday’s clash against Pittsburgh.
Penguins vs. Blue Jackets Pick
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Earle Sports Bets | +2,298.00 |
| 2 |  Ross Benjamin | +1,840.00 |
| 3 |  Rob Vincilleti | +1,757.00 |
| 4 |  David Hess | +1,745.00 |
| 5 |  Dan Kaiser | +987.00 |
Moneyline Pick for Penguins vs. Blue Jackets
- Pittsburgh Penguins +118 (5 units)
Keep tracking the injury report. Should Kirill Marchenko remain on the shelf, the Blue Jackets will have a tall task to satisfy the odds in this game. Marchenko missed two straight games with an upper-body injury. He’s been terrific for the Blue Jackets this season.
I would take the Penguins at plus money. Their special teams could easily make the difference. Pittsburgh’s power-play execution has been outstanding thus far, and the Pens’ penalty killing has been excellent, too. On the other side, Columbus has struggled with both man advantage and man down.
Over/Under Pick for Penguins vs. Blue Jackets
- Under 6.5 (5 units)
The first meeting of the season between Pittsburgh and Columbus was a proper high-scoring affair. The bookies expect another firecracker, but I’m not sure about that.
The Blue Jackets’ offense has been pretty inconsistent lately. Columbus has only scored 10 goals over its previous five games. It’s a similar story with the Penguins, who have scored 14 goals in their last seven outings.
Hereof, I will take the under. Both Tristan Jarry and Jet Greaves have done a solid job this season. Jarry just returned from an injury and played very well against the Sabres, while Greaves has a 2.70 GAA and a .904 save percentage in November.
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