Carolina Hurricanes vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction, Preview and Odds - 03/31/2026

Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Venue:  Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH 

Where to Watch:  ESPN+, Hulu

DraftKings:  Moneyline:  Hurricanes -135, Blue Jackets +114; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

Bet365:  Moneyline:  Hurricanes -135, Blue Jackets +115; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

BetMGM:  Moneyline:  Hurricanes -135, Blue Jackets +115; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

Carolina Hurricanes:  46-21-6 (1st place, Metropolitan Division)

Columbus Blue Jackets:  38-24-12 (4th place, Metropolitan Division)

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Carolina Hurricanes:  6-4-0 last 10

Columbus Blue Jackets:  5-3-2 last 10

The Hurricanes are entering this game with 98 points, a 46-21-6 record overall, and they are 20-11-4 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Montreal Canadiens in their last game, losing that one at home 3-1. Andrei Svechnikov scored 1 goal for them in that one. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis each led the team in assists with 1 while Seth Jarvis led the team in shots on net in that game with 5. Frederik Andersen was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 18 shots with 15 saves and a .833 save percentage. Their offense has scored 258 goals this season averaging 3.5 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 216 goals against them allowing 3 goals per game.

The Blue Jackets are entering this game with 88 points, a 38-24-12 record overall, and they are 20-9-8 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Boston Bruins in their last game, losing that one at home 4-3 in a shootout. Mason Marchment, Boone Jenner, and Charlie Coyle each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Kirill Marchenko led the team in assists with 2 while Boone Jenner led the team in shots on net in that game with 5. Jet Greaves was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 38 shots with 35 saves and a .921 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 237 goals this season averaging 3.2 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 226 goals against them allowing 3.1 goals per game.

The current betting odds have the Hurricanes listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Hurricanes have looked great in their games this season with their 46-21-6 record overall which has them right at the top of their division in the East. They have been a great road team too with their 20-11-4 road record this year. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets have looked good in their games this season with their 38-24-12 record overall which has them in the top half of their division in the East. They have looked great on home ice too with their 20-9-8 home record this season. The Blue Jackets are currently fighting for a spot in the playoffs and they are holding down the last Wild Card spot, but they haven't looked that good lately. They are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games and they have lost 3 games in a row now, coming off a loss to the Bruins in a game which they blew a 3-0 lead in. The Blue Jackets are starting to flail right when they need wins the most, and now they are up against one of the best teams in the NHL who is going to be looking to get hot going into the playoffs. The Hurricanes are off a 3-1 loss to the Canadiens in their last one, but they will be looking to bounce back here and they have looked good lately too, going 6-4-0 in their last 10 games. The Hurricanes have also been a great road team this year which is a nice change of pace for them, so look for them to take advantage of a Blue Jackets team that is starting to see the wheels come off. The best way to place a bet here is on the Hurricanes to win this game. 

Hurricanes Blue Jackets Prediction:  Our NHL Pick for Tuesday, March 31, 2026 (7:30 pm ET start time) is Hurricanes 5 Blue Jackets 1.

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Carolina Hurricanes: 160-103 (-12.2 units) on the moneyline in all games. 87-72 (-23.8 units) on the moneyline as a favorite of -200 or less. 22-17 (-6.2 units) on the moneyline revenging a blowout loss vs opponent of 3 goals or more. 23-16 UNDER revenging a blowout loss vs opponent of 3 goals or more.

Columbus Blue Jackets: 62-56 (+18.2 units) on the moneyline in home games. 23-27 (+11.2 units) on the moneyline when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 75%). 21-30 (+5.1 units) on the moneyline versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 0.5+ goals/game. 24-18 UNDER as a home underdog of +100 to +150.

Carolina Hurricanes:  P. Kochetkov (G) Out - Hip.

Columbus Blue Jackets:  M. Olivier (RW) Day To Day - Upper Body. D. Voronkov (LW) Out - Upper-body. D. Severson (D) Out - Upper-body. B. Smith (D) Out - Knee.

“It’s pretty much identical as the game up there. We played well, we definitely created enough opportunities, we just didn’t score. So, you tip your hat to that goalie. He played great again.” - Rod Brind’Amour after his team’s loss against the Canadiens in their game on Sunday. 

“We got away from being aggressive, and I thought we got very selfish with the puck. Some of these guys, they've got a lot to learn about how to play in this league at this time of year. It gets harder and harder and harder, and we're going to keep reminding them and reminding them every day how hard it is to win at this time of the year, and you just can't get away. I hate it when we play on our heels, and we were back a little bit. Give them credit. They started coming, but there's a lot to be learned from some of these guys, and they better start listening.” - Rick Bowness after his team’s loss against the Bruins in their game on Sunday.

LW Andrei Svechnikov

C Sebastian Aho

RW Seth Jarvis

LD Jaccob Slavin

RD Jalen Chatfield

G Brandon Bussi

LW Mason Marchment

C Adam Fantilli

RW Kirill Marchenko

LD Zach Werenski

RD Dante Fabbro

G Jet Greaves

Points: Sebastian Aho (74)

Goals: Seth Jarvis (30)

Assists: Sebastian Aho (49)

GAA: Brandon Bussi (2.45)

Points: Zach Werenski (77)

Goals: Kirill Marchenko (25)

Assists: Zach Werenski (56)

GAA: Jet Greaves (2.56)

Coaches:

Carolina Hurricanes: Rod Brind'Amour (8th season)

Columbus Blue Jackets: Rick Bowness (1st season)