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Carolina (42-18-6) at Columbus (34-21-11)
- When: Mar 17 2026, 7:00 PM
- Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH, USA
- TV: FDSSO
Carolina vs Columbus NHL Preview & Pick
Moneyline: Carolina -138
Spread: Carolina -1.5 (+180)
Total: 6.5
Alright, buckle up. We’ve got a team that refuses to lose versus a team that refuses to make life easy. Carolina sits as a -138 favorite with the total at 6.5, which basically screams “this will absolutely not go how you expect.”
Carolina Hurricanes: Rolling Like It’s Easy
Carolina is out here casually winning games like it’s a practice drill. They’ve gone 14-3-2 in their last 19, which is the hockey version of “yeah, we’re doing just fine.”
Leading the charge are Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, who apparently decided scoring points is fun again. Aho has 68 points with 24 goals and 44 assists, while Svechnikov sits right behind with 58 points and 24 goals. These two are basically the Hurricanes’ offense with a side of chaos.
Oh, and if you forget about them for one second, someone like Jordan Martinook pops in with a clutch goal just to remind you this team has depth too.
Carolina’s whole vibe right now is “we don’t need to dominate, we just need to beat you.” And guess what? It’s working.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Refuses to Go Away
Now here comes Columbus, the team that absolutely nobody wants to play right now. They’re on a nine-game point streak (5-0-4), which means even when they lose, they still kinda win. Annoying.
Kirill Marchenko is leading the charge with 25 goals, and he just casually hit his 100th career goal like it’s no big deal. Meanwhile, Jet Greaves is out here playing brick wall simulator, shutting teams down and winning shootouts like it’s a hobby.
Since the coaching change, Columbus is 15-2-4, which is the kind of turnaround that makes sportsbooks nervous and bettors confused.
They don’t blow teams out. They drag you into a one-goal grind, take your soul, and then win in overtime just to be dramatic.
LVSB Betting Prediction
So what do we have? A red-hot Carolina team versus a Columbus squad that refuses to die quietly. Classic.
Carolina has the better roster, more firepower, and fewer emotional rollercoasters. Columbus will keep it tight, because that’s their entire personality, but eventually talent wins out.
Expect stress. Lots of it.
Score Prediction: Hurricanes 3, Blue Jackets 2
Pick: Carolina ML (-138)
Total: Under 6.5 (-115)
- NHL Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
