New York Rangers vs Columbus Blue Jackets: Odds, Spread, and Total
Everybody knows the end of an NHL road trip is bad news. How does a laboring team handle a weird one-off trip? We’ll know after Columbus greets the New York…
Everybody knows the end of an NHL road trip is bad news. How does a laboring team handle a weird one-off trip? We'll know after Columbus greets the New York Rangers this Thursday at 7 p.m. EST.
The 35-21-11 Columbus Blue Jackets have won three of their last four games and remain firmly in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Because the Atlantic Division is so stacked with winning teams, Zach Werenski's club could actually have an easier time making the postseason by surpassing the Islanders or the Penguins in their own Metropolitan Division than qualifying as a wild-card.
The Rangers remain at the bottom of the conference after their win streak was snapped by the Los Angeles Kings last Monday. Now on the second night of a back-to-back, they'll look for revenge after a 5–4 loss to the Blue Jackets at MSG on March 2. Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov scored his fifth goal in 10 games in Wednesday's matchup against Jack Hughes and New Jersey, but New York fell again, 6–3, dropping to 28-32-8.
Spread
- Rangers +1.5 (-133)
- Blue Jackets -1.5 (+126)
Money line
- Rangers +194
- Blue Jackets -204
Total
- Over 6 (-111)
- Under 6 (+101)
Note: The above data was collected on March 19, 2026, and may have changed since writing.
New York Rangers vs Columbus Blue Jackets Betting Trends
- Columbus is currently on a ten-game points streak.
- New York has won three consecutive road contests.
- Home teams have lost ATS in five straight meetings.
New York Rangers vs Columbus Blue Jackets Injury Reports
New York Rangers
- Center Matt Rempe is on the injured reserve with a thumb injury.
- Center Noah Laba is questionable with a lower-body injury.
Columbus Blue Jackets
- Defenseman Erik Gudbranson is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
- Defenseman Brenden Smith is on the injured reserve with a knee injury.
New York Rangers vs Columbus Blue Jackets Predictions and Picks
Fans can take strange solace in the Rangers being out of the Eastern race, which is simply a nightmare for contending teams. The Bolts, Habs, Red Wings, Spokes, Pens, Isles, and Blue Jackets are in danger of April golf rounds despite records that stand at least 14 games above .500. It may not bode well for Ohio that Werenski is its club's leading point-producer of 2025-26. Charlie Coyle's four points in Tuesday's 5-1 triumph over Carolina are a hopeful hint that a Columbus forward could match the defenseman's impact.
Blue Line Station blogger Scott Rogust thinks that the former Rangers forward Artemi Panarin “will miss playing with his Rangers teammates,” implying that the Rangers might turn out better than the Kings in the near future. It may or may not be true. Alexis Lafreniere may be one of the league's best young snipers, but New York's reliable veterans will age out of their impacts before he is in his prime. JT Miller and Vincent Trocheck played their guts out against LA, but the Kings still schooled the Rangers 4-1.
By hook or crook, the Blue Jackets have earned points in 10 straight games. The Rangers are due to lose to a desperate team on the road, making Columbus a worthy puck-line pick for Thursday evening.
