The Chicago Blackhawks will host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night in a midwest matchup in the NHL. These teams are going in opposite directions of late, with the Blue Jackets on a winning streak and the Blackhawks in the midst of a run of poor form. Chicago will try to overcome some fatigue to end their losing streak. Can they get the job done here? Continue reading to get my Blue Jackets vs Blackhawks prediction on Friday night.
Our Blue Jackets vs Blackhawks Pick
Pick: Blue Jackets moneyline
Confidence: 4/5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Columbus Blue Jackets vs Chicago Blackhawks
- Date & Time: Friday, January 30, 2026, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: United Center, Chicago, IL
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
- Columbus has surged in January with a 4-1 record across its last five games, including an 8-5 win over Tampa Bay and a 1-0 shutout of Dallas. The Blue Jackets have won three games in a row and they have scored 13 goals over their last two outings, which could mean problems for the Blackhawks defense in this contest.
- Chicago has lost four games in a row coming into this matchup. The Blackhawks grabbed a point in two of those four straight losses, but Chicago is only two points clear of the bottom of the Central Division and they need to start winning games in order to avoid ending this season at the bottom of the standings.
- Rest, or the lack thereof, will be an important factor in this game. The Blackhawks are playing for the second night in a row after losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins by a 6-2 margin on Thursday night. Columbus could be the fresher team, especially late in this game, which could bend this game in their favor.
Goaltending
- Columbus: Jet Greaves has emerged as the most likely option for this game. Greaves enters this contest with a .908 save percentage and the coaching staff should stay with the hot hand here.
- Chicago: Spencer Knight has handled recent starts and owns a .910 save percentage, giving the Blackhawks a high ceiling when Knight is at his best.
Key skaters
- Columbus: Zach Werenski leads the Jackets with 57 points on 19 goals and 38 assists. The Jackets convert at under 20% on the power play, meaning their scoring will have to come mostly from even strength action.
- Chicago: Connor Bedard headlines the Blackhawks with 50 points on 21 goals and 29 assists, while Tyler Bertuzzi leads the team with 25 goals.
Betting Trends & H2H
- This is the first meeting of the season between these two teams.
- The Blue Jackets are 27-24 on the puckline going into this game.
- The Blackhawks are 35-19 in the puckline market so far this season.
Blue Jackets vs Blackhawks Model Projection
Score Projection: Columbus 4 – Chicago 2
Win Probability: Columbus 58%, Chicago 42%
Final Thoughts
This is the second game of a back-to-back for the Blackhawks, who have struggled even when they are not at a rest disadvantage this year. I'll take the Blue Jackets to win this game on the moneyline, though I could also see Columbus covering the puckline on the road.
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