New Jersey Devils @ Columbus Blue Jackets 10/13/2025
If you like your early-season NHL action with a little spice, this Metropolitan clash in Columbus checks a lot of boxes. New Jersey rolls into Nationwide Arena after splitting its opening set, scoring at an average clip of 4.00 goals per game while allowing 4.50. The Jackets, meanwhile, are balancing strong offensive bursts with responsible play in their own end, averaging 4.00 for and 3.00 against through two. That’s the headline number to me: both clubs can skate and create, but the Jackets have been a touch tighter in their own zone. Columbus is skating into this one with that home-opener energy inside a building that can get loud in a hurry. New Jersey’s firepower is real, but goaltending consistency will shape how their night plays out.
Toss in special-teams storylines—New Jersey’s top unit has looked slick in spurts; Columbus’ penalty kill has traveled well so far—and this sets up as a high-compete, swingy matchup that could hinge on crease performance and who wins the details at five-on-five.
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Our betting predictions for the match New Jersey Devils @ Columbus Blue Jackets
Main Tip: Spread – New Jersey Devils -1.5
Our primary prediction (Spread): The puck line is always where you hunt for price, and Devils -1.5 at +185 is tempting at Fanatics Sportsbook if you buy their rush game, breaking this open late. New Jersey’s top six can stack chances in waves, and if they get a whistle or two to go their way on the power play, it could tilt. The risk? Columbus’ goaltending competition has been sharp early. Still, if the Devils carry more of the five-on-five shot share, this number offers real upside.
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Tip 2: Moneyline – New Jersey Devils
Our second betting tip (Moneyline): If you’d rather trim volatility, New Jersey on the moneyline is the steadier option. The Devils are creating quality chances off the rush and winning enough neutral-zone battles to string pressure shifts together, and their recent road win underscored that identity. Columbus will feed off the home crowd, but talent on the top six and transition speed tilt this toward the visitors. Pick: Devils moneyline at best odds with BetMGM.
Tip 3: Game Totals – Over 4.5 Goals
Our final betting prediction (Total): With both teams sitting around 4.00 scored per night early, the lean is to the Over on a standard NHL total of over 4.5 goals. New Jersey’s transition game can force Columbus into track-meet sequences, while the Jackets have shown they can answer with depth scoring. Special teams may be the swing factor—if New Jersey’s first unit keeps humming and Columbus keeps attacking off retrievals, goals tend to come in clusters. Over is the lean given the profiles and pace.
Team news
Plenty to monitor on both benches as we get closer to puck drop. For the Devils, the forward group has taken some early bumps, and depth minutes are being absorbed on the fly. Evgenii Dadonov is considered day-to-day after a hand scare (X-rays negative), while depth pieces Marc McLaughlin and Juho Lammikko remain out. On the back end, Johnathan Kovacevic and Seamus Casey are sidelined, though Brett Pesce has stepped in with veteran stability, logging heavy minutes out of the gate.
For Columbus, Luca Marrelli (shoulder) and Jordan Dumais (hip) are out, while Cole Sillinger had a minor hand concern in practice but was slated for further evaluation. The Jackets’ most notable spotlight remains in net, where Elvis Merzlikins and Jet Greaves are battling for crease share—and healthy competition can keep those save percentages where coaches want them.
Columbus Blue Jackets performance check
Columbus enters as the Metropolitan’s scrappy riser, currently 5th in the division, trending toward a sturdy two-way identity. They’ve banked two points from their opening pair, and they’re producing at a 4.00-per-game clip while permitting 3.00. That equilibrium is a winning formula at home, especially when the five-on-five forecheck turns pucks over. On special teams, early signs are positive; the penalty kill looks organized and aggressive at the line, and their power play has generated interior touches even when goals haven’t come in droves.
Goaltending is the heartbeat—Merzlikins, who worked to a .892 last season, is being pushed by Greaves, who flashed a strong save rate in limited action. That internal heat usually sharpens angles and rebounds. Add a faceoff group that’s competing hard at the dots—vital against New Jersey’s centers—and you can see why Columbus has been in every game. The last outing, a confident road win with multiple momentum swings, showcased how quickly they can turn defense into offense and finish with layers through the slot. The formula at Nationwide: keep the neutral zone clean, limit east-west against New Jersey’s top line, and let the building carry the bench through the second-period push.
How is the current performance of the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey sits 6th in the Metropolitan and is still smoothing the edges defensively after a 2-game start that produced 4.00 scored per night but 4.50 conceded. The upside is obvious: Jesper Bratt looks dialed, Nico Hischier drives play, and Timo Meier is getting inside. The blue line has new chemistry to build, but Luke Hughes is already moving pucks with pace, and Brett Pesce adds a veteran read-and-react presence that should stabilize the second pair as usage settles.
Special teams are a lever: the power play has the personnel to operate above league average once the puck snaps around quickly on the half wall, and the penalty kill, while tested, tends to rebound when their forwards pressure entries and stay compact at the net front. In net, the big question is consistency across 60. When the Devils limit rush-against and keep breakouts clean, their save percentage trends where they need it. The attack will produce; the margins come from details—discipline, defensive-zone exits, and clearing rebounds. Their last game, a road win with a multi-goal margin, was a proof of concept: win the middle of the ice and let the skill cook.
Team Statistics
- – Columbus Blue Jackets (Metropolitan, 5th): averaging 4.00 goals per game, allowing 3.00 per game. Early special teams trending solid, PK structure tight, PP creating interior looks. Faceoffs, competitive, five-on-five forecheck is effective in spurts.
- – New Jersey Devils (Metropolitan, 6th): averaging 4.00 goals per game, allowing 4.50 per game. Power play is dangerous with the first unit cooking at times; PK can be high-pressure when synced. Transition speed remains a strength; the faceoff group is anchored by skilled two-way centers.
Keyplayer Statistics/Momentum/External Factors
- – Goaltending battle in Columbus: Merzlikins vs. Greaves has sparked strong early play. Merzlikins brings the workload experience; Greaves’ recent run rates were impressive. When a tandem is hot, shooters get fewer clean looks.
- – Devils’ blue line: Pesce’s minutes signal trust; Hughes’ puck-moving adds pace and controlled exits. When they limit extended zone time against, the netminder’s night gets easier.
- – Skater momentum: Jesper Bratt picked up where he left off after a career year, and New Jersey’s top six can grind you with speed and touch. For Columbus, depth scoring has popped at key moments, taking pressure off the marquee names.
- – External factors: Nationwide Arena in a prime early-season slot—crowd lift matters. Both teams are on regular rest, travel normally, and the rivalry element inside the Metro adds urgency. Discipline is a swing variable; whoever stays out of the box usually dictates the five-on-five tempo.
Last direct meeting
These two know each other well. In the most recent head-to-head in Columbus, New Jersey edged it on the road with a tight-checking finish. The Devils have taken four of the last five in the series, which lines up with their recent run of success against Metro peers.
Performance last 5 matches
- – Columbus Blue Jackets: 1 win, 4 losses across all competitions form. The record undersells their current jump; the pace and structure look improved, and the finishing has been timely.
- – New Jersey Devils: 2 wins, 3 losses across all competitions form. The offense is humming, and when the back end cleans up, results tend to follow quickly.
Last match results: Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils
- – Columbus: A high-scoring road win over Minnesota, showcasing a confident push through the neutral zone and a strong finishing touch in the slot.
- – New Jersey: A composed road performance in Tampa, controlling key moments and pulling away late behind opportunistic top-six production and steadier defending as the game wore on.
TrustnBet Final Thoughts
Here’s how we’re playing it. First, we’re taking a swing with Devils -1.5 at +185; New Jersey’s pace, rush game, and chance creation give them multiple avenues to separate late. Second, the safer route is the moneyline on the Devils, where top-six talent and road form provide the edge. Third, we like the Over on the game total, backed by both teams’ per-game scoring profiles and the early-season special-teams volatility. Check starting goalies at morning skate, but the matchup dynamics support these three angles.
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