Nashville Predators vs Columbus Blue Jackets Pick & Preview - 3/3/2026
Updated March 3, 2026
Updated March 3, 2026
The Nashville Predators travel to face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, in an inter-conference showdown that could have implications for both clubs’ positioning as the regular season winds down. Both teams are in fifth place in their respective divisions and are not out of playoff contention yet. A win here will be huge for whoever can get it, as both teams still search for a Wild Card spot. Before the puck drops in Ohio, keep reading to get my Predators vs Blue Jackets prediction.
Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets ML
Confidence: 3 out of 5
Recent form
The Blue Jackets have produced mixed results but showed signs of toughness in recent outings, splitting a pair of overtime results in its last two games. Columbus has posted victories against teams like Chicago and pulled off road wins against New Jersey, suggesting they can score and defend enough to stay competitive.
Nashville has been involved in high‑scoring results. Their recent outings include multiple games decided by one goal or in extra time, but Nashville has dropped four of its last five games. The Predators have averaged close to 3 goals per game, but the difference in goals against has been a problem at stages of the season.
Goaltending
Juuse Saros is set to step in net for the Predators in this contest on Tuesday night. Saros has a 3.19 GAA on the season and has struggled at times, but has a high ceiling for Nashville. He will be opposed by Elvis Merzlikins of the Blue Jackets. Merzlikins is the second choice goaltender for the Blue Jackets, but he is being called into action for what is the second game of a back-to-back for both teams.
Key skaters
The offensive leaders for both teams will draw plenty of attention. For Nashville, Ryan O'Reilly is the top distributor of the puck, while Steven Stamkos continues to produce with 30 goals on the year. Columbus' attack is led by Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko, setting up a fun battle between some duos who can do plenty of damage with the puck in their possession.
Score Projection: Columbus 4 – Nashville 3
Win Probability: Columbus 55%, Nashville 45%
This contest between the Predators and Blue Jackets should be a close game with offensive contributions from both sides. Columbus’ home ice advantage and more consistent defensive metrics give them a slight edge in this matchup. While Nashville certainly has the firepower to keep this close and even win the game, I'm going with the Blue Jackets in this one.
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