New York Islanders vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction – 12/28/2025

The New York Islanders head to Nationwide Arena on Sunday to face the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Islanders arrive in Ohio after a 2-0 shutout of the New York Rangers on Saturday, showing defensive grit and strong goaltending from David Rittich in the absence of Ilya Sorokin. Columbus looks to build consistency after a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in their last game, nearly a week ago. Here, I take a closer look at this matchup in the NHL and give you my Islanders vs Blue Jackets prediction.

Our Islanders vs Blue Jackets Pick

Game Snapshot

• Matchup: New York Islanders vs Columbus Blue Jackets
• Date & Time: Sunday, December 28, 2025, 5:00 PM
• Venue: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
• Broadcast: ESPN+

Key Storylines

Recent form

The Islanders have played well on defense of late, most recently blanking their crosstown rivals while limiting quality chances and staying disciplined for the most part. New York sits comfortably in the Metropolitan Division standings in second place, but will need to overcome fatigue on the second game of a back-to-back here.

Columbus is at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, but they did get a win over the LA Kings in their last game. Over the last ten games, Columbus has a sub-.500 record, and they continue to work on tightening things up. They have a huge rest advantage to lean on in this contest and will try to make the most of that.

Goaltending

David Rittich is expected to get the start in goal for the Islanders as Sorokin remains on injured reserve. Rittich’s recent performances have been solid, including a shutout effort most recently. Columbus is expected to rely on Jet Greaves, who has shown flashes but also some vulnerability at times between the pipes.

Key skaters

Bo Horvat has returned to the Islanders’ lineup and brings experience to the top line, potentially boosting the scoring output of the Isles. For Columbus, Zach Werenski leads their offensive metrics with strong point production and has been on a multi-game point streak, while Mason Marchment’s early run with his new club has energized their forward group.

Best Player Props

Betting Trends & H2H

• The Islanders won 3-2 over the Blue Jackets at home in their first meeting of the 2025-26 season.
• Columbus is 17-18 in the puckline market going into this game.
• New York has covered the puckline 21 times in 38 games.

Islanders vs Blue Jackets Model Projection

Final Thoughts

Jay Sanin

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.