The New Jersey Devils and Columbus Blue Jackets will square off on Monday night in Ohio. Both teams enter the game at 1-1-0, having split their first two games of the season. Only one of these teams will get above the .500 mark for the season. Here, you will find my thoughts on this matchup, including my Devils vs Blue Jackets prediction.
Our Devils vs Blue Jackets Pick
- Pick: Blue Jackets Moneyline
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: New Jersey Devils @ Columbus Blue Jackets
- Date & Time: Monday, October 13, 2025, 7:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
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The Devils bounced back from their season-opening loss with a 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Connor Brown scored twice, Luke Hughes chipped in two assists, and the offense looked more cohesive. New Jersey has given up nine goals in its first two games and will need to tighten things up to get a second straight win here.
Columbus also sits at 1-1 after an impressive 7-4 victory over Minnesota. That scoring explosion was a showcase of their offensive firepower, but they were held to just one goal in their opener and will need to be more consistent on the attack.
Goaltending
Jacob Markstrom is carrying the goaltending burden for New Jersey. Through two starts, his goals-against average has ballooned to 4.04 and his save percentage is an underwhelming .837. His advanced metrics are shaky, as he has allowed 8 goals on 49 shots faced. For Columbus, Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins have seen action early on. Merzlikins got the win in his first start of the season, though his GAA is higher than that of Greaves.
Key skaters
New Jersey’s top contributors include Luke Hughes (4 assists), Jesper Bratt (2 goals, 1 assist), and Connor Brown. Columbus counters with Kirill Marchenko (3 goals), Sean Monahan, and Zach Werenski on the back end. Their forward group is dangerous, especially if they can get out in transition and create odd-man rush opportunities.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Jesper Bratt (NJ) | Over 0.5 Goals |
| Luke Hughes (NJ) | Over 0.5 Assists |
| Kirill Marchenko (CBJ) | Over 1.5 Points |
Betting Trends
- The Devils are 1-1 on the puckline so far this season.
- Both of New Jersey’s two games have gone over their totals.
- Columbus is 2-0 on the puckline so far this year.
- The Blue Jackets are 1-1 on over/unders thus far in the 2025-26 season.
Devils vs Blue Jackets Model Projection
Score Projection: Columbus Blue Jackets 3 – New Jersey Devils 2
Win Probability: Devils 47% — Blue Jackets 53%
Final Thoughts
The Devils’ lack of consistent defending could cause them a problem in this matchup from Columbus. The Devils have allowed nine goals over their first two games and I expect the Blue Jackets to put up a fair amount of goals in this contest against them. I’ll take the Blue Jackets to get the win on the moneyline at home in this contest as the Jackets could look better than we’ve seen now that they are playing their home opener.
