NFL Previews 
MLB Previews 
NBA Previews 
NHL Previews 
Soccer Previews 
Seattle Kraken vs Columbus Blue Jackets
The Seattle Kraken visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Nationwide Arena, with puck drop listed for 5:00 PM ET. Seattle is 31-28-9 and sitting right on the edge of the West wild-card line. Columbus is 36-21-11 and still climbing in the East, tied for third in the Metro while sitting just a point back of the wild-card teams. This is the kind of day where two points feel like four.
Columbus has been bankable for weeks. They’re on an 11-game point streak (7-0-4) and just beat the Rangers 6-3 with Adam Fantilli finishing chances and Zach Werenski driving the entire game from the back end. Seattle’s form has been shakier since the break, but the Kraken are still in playoff position range and they know this trip is a gauntlet. You can hear it in how they talk. It’s “playoff mode,” even if the results haven’t been there.
The market leans Columbus at home and the total is up at 6.5. That tells you the books expect chances. The key question is whether Seattle can keep this controlled enough to make it a one-goal game late, because that’s where a lot of underdogs survive.
Smart NHL picks start here.
Let the numbers guide your bets.
Seattle Kraken vs Columbus Blue Jackets Odds
These are the current betting lines, and bettors should always monitor updated prices and shop numbers throughout the day using the latest NHL odds.
| Team | Moneyline | Puck Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Kraken | +142 | +1.5 (-170) | O 6.5 (+105) |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | -170 | -1.5 (+142) | U 6.5 (-125) |
Seattle Kraken Betting Form
Seattle’s last month has been frustrating because the effort hasn’t always been terrible, but the margin plays have. They’ve been missing the net, overpassing, and giving away too many high-quality looks against, which is how a “pretty decent” game turns into a loss anyway. The Kraken can still skate, still generate, and they’re still close enough in the standings that one good week changes everything. But they’re not getting much for free right now.
From a betting standpoint, Seattle’s path is clear. They have to survive the first period and keep this out of track-meet territory. If they trade chances, Columbus is going to like that game more because the Jackets are finishing better and playing with more confidence. If Seattle can keep it tight, the +1.5 makes sense, and the moneyline becomes a live dog look late if it’s tied after 40.
If you want the quick snapshot of recent results and splits, the Seattle Kraken stats and results page is the clean reference. Availability matters here, so monitor the Seattle Kraken injury report before puck drop.
Columbus Blue Jackets Betting Form
Columbus is playing with real belief right now, and the point streak shows it. What I like most is that even when the Jackets admit a game wasn’t their sharpest, they still find a way to win. That usually means your details are strong enough that you don’t need perfection to cash. Fantilli is finishing, Werenski is creating, and the team is generating enough volume that opponents are spending long stretches defending.
The biggest betting angle for Columbus is pace and pressure at home. When they start fast, they tend to turn games into shot-volume nights, and that usually pushes opponents into mistakes. Columbus also has a power-play threat that can create separation if Seattle takes penalties. If the Jackets get a lead, they’re not as fragile as they were earlier in the season. They can close.
For form and home splits, the Columbus Blue Jackets schedule and stats page helps. And with this kind of schedule density, monitor the Columbus Blue Jackets injury report before you bet.
Seattle Kraken vs Columbus Blue Jackets Matchup Breakdown
This game starts with game state. Columbus wants to push pace early, get pucks to the net, and let their forecheck do work. Seattle wants the opposite. Clean exits, fewer turnovers, and a game that stays in that 2-2 range into the third. If the Blue Jackets score first, the Kraken are forced into more risk than they want, and that’s where Seattle’s recent issues show up again, one extra pass, one bad change, one turnover at the line.
Special teams are a real lever here. If Columbus gets a couple early power plays, the -1.5 becomes more realistic because that’s how favorites build a gap without needing five-on-five dominance. If Seattle stays disciplined and keeps this mostly five-on-five, then the dog has a better shot to hang around and let the variance do some work late.
I also think 6.5 is telling you the market expects chances, but it doesn’t mean both teams will play that way. Seattle would love a lower-event script. Columbus would love to turn it into a volume game. Whoever wins that stylistic tug of war usually wins the bet.
If you want a sharper framework for deciding when to lay a favorite versus take a puck-line cushion, the NHL betting guide is useful. And if you’re thinking about how urgency starts showing up in pricing as teams chase the cut line, the Stanley Cup betting guide helps put these “every point matters” games into context.
Seattle Kraken vs Columbus Blue Jackets Predictions and Best Bets
My lean is Columbus on the moneyline at -170. It’s a bit of a home tax, but it’s justified by form and by the way Columbus is playing. The Jackets are getting offense in waves, they’re converting more of their chances, and they’re finding points even when the game isn’t clean. Seattle can definitely compete here, but they’ve been too inconsistent finishing chances to trust as a road dog against a team this hot.
On the puck line, I don’t mind Columbus -1.5 at +142 as a smaller, price-driven angle if you think Seattle’s road legs show up late. But I’m not making it the main play because Seattle can keep games within one when they’re locked in, and Columbus has also played plenty of one-goal games during this point streak because of overtime results.
For the total, I lean Under 6.5 at -125, mostly because Seattle’s best chance is slowing this down and turning it into a third-period game. If Columbus gets out early and the Kraken have to chase, you can get burned. But if Seattle plays the way they say they want to play, structured, fewer freebies, this can land 3-2 or 4-2 more often than a full track meet.
Best Bet: Columbus Blue Jackets moneyline (-170).
Smart NHL picks start here.
Let the numbers guide your bets.
NHL Picks and Handicappers on ScoresAndStats
If you’re betting NHL nightly, it’s rarely just “pick the right team.” It’s timing, numbers, and knowing when a line has moved too far. Checking today’s NHL picks is a good way to compare how multiple handicappers are attacking the slate before you commit.
ScoresAndStats also keeps the records transparent. You can compare different styles across the top sports handicappers, verify long-term results on the handicapper leaderboard, and if you want more volume beyond the free board, you can always buy expert picks. For more daily matchup coverage in this format, the NHL previews hub is the clean way to keep the slate organized.
