Ottawa Senators vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction & Preview - 1/20/2026
Updated January 20, 2026
Updated January 20, 2026
The Ottawa Senators prepare to face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night in the NHL. Both teams enter with identical records of 22-19-7, making this matchup critical for playoff positioning and momentum going forward. Both of these teams are on four-game point streaks and will try to extend those streaks in this matchup. Here, I break down this contest and you will find my Senators vs Blue Jackets prediction right here.
Pick: | Over 6.5 ATS PRO |
Confidence: | 3/5 |
Recent Form: The Senators are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings and have collected points in four straight games, but have only two wins in their last eight. Their offense has shown potential, though they’ve struggled to sustain leads late in games. Ottawa’s dynamic forward group, led by Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson, can produce scoring bursts and will try to do so again here. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets enter off a series of solid performances, including four straight wins with balanced scoring. Columbus has found success under Coach Bowness, highlighted by veteran play from Charlie Coyle and strong goaltending from Elvis Merzlikins lately.
Goaltending: For Ottawa, James Reimer made 30 saves in his season debut and earned valuable minutes, but their goaltending picture has been unsettled with injuries and lineup changes. On the Blue Jackets’ side, Jet Greaves has posted a respectable record and solid .908 save percentage, while Merzlikins brings experience and has kept Columbus competitive in his starts as well. Both teams allow over three goals per game, making goaltending and defensive consistency areas to watch closely.
Key Skaters: Ottawa’s offensive threats include Tim Stutzle, who leads the team with 49 points, and Jake Sanderson is a key contributor from the blue line with 29 assists. Columbus counters with a balanced attack. Zach Werenski remains a top producer from the back end with 52 points, while Kirill Marchenko and Charlie Coyle provide scoring as well. These veteran forwards have paced the Blue Jackets and stepped up in timely moments.
Score Projection: Columbus 4 – Ottawa 3 ATS PRO
Win Probability: Columbus 52%, Ottawa 48% ATS PRO
This should be a tight game between these two teams. I'm going to take the over as my top play in the betting markets here. I think it's easier to trust both teams to do some scoring in this contest than it is to trust either of these teams to play solid two-way hockey for 60+ minutes, as we should see an entertaining matchup from Ohio.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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