- What: NHL Regular Season Game
- When: March 13, 2025
- Who: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
- Time: 4:00 p.m. PST
- Where: Nationwide Arena (Columbus, OH)
In a crucial matchup for both teams, the Columbus Blue Jackets will take on the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. EST at Nationwide Arena.
The Golden Knights currently sit atop the Pacific Division with 83 points after 64 games, holding a five-point lead over the Oilers and trailing the top-seeded Jets by 11 points.
On the other hand, the Blue Jackets have accumulated 70 points in the same number of games, putting them just two points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens for the first wild card spot.
They have a record of 5-4-1 in their last ten games and are looking to take advantage of the Rangers’ recent struggles with a victory here. Vegas is favored at -175 on the money line, with the total set at six goals.
Can Columbus pull off an upset on their home ice?
Vegas
Vegas lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in overtime despite Pavel Dorofeyev and Noah Hanifin each scoring and contributing an assist.
Jack Eichel leads the team with 62 points, followed by Mark Stone with 44. Dorofeyev has 21 goals, and Eichel has 47 assists and a +28 rating.
✈️ Stop 2: Columbus
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????: https://t.co/igPfQgoOyK pic.twitter.com/8oRKknu0nA— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 13, 2025
The offense ranks 4th in goals per game (3.40) and power play percentage (28.0%). William Karlsson is day-to-day, while Shea Theodore and Raphael Lavoie are out.
Adin Hill has a 90.3% save percentage and a 2.60 GAA in net, with the team ranking 8th in goals allowed (2.74 GAA).
Theodore leads defensemen with 44 points and is the only blueliner with multiple power-play goals, while Alex Pietrangelo averages the most ice time at 22:42.
Columbus
The Columbus Blue Jackets lost 5-3 to the New Jersey Devils. Mathieu Olivier scored twice, and Kirill Marchenko scored a goal. Olivier and Zach Werenski each had three shots, while Elvis Merzlikins made 23 saves.
Back home for our final duel with the Knights! ⚔️
????Watch LIVE on @FanDuelSN_CBUS https://t.co/811iB9BQ4g
????Listen live: @971thefan and on the #CBJ app https://t.co/3RUjMKkHLY
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⏰ 7:00 PM@ticketmaster | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/JoRU4834Qm— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 13, 2025
Marchenko leads the team with 56 points (21 goals, 35 assists) and a +32 rating. The Blue Jackets rank 9th in goals per game (3.25) and 16th on the power play (21.6%).
Defensively, they are 24th in penalty kill (75.3%) and 25th in goals against (3.26 per game). Monahan and three others are injured and will miss the next game.
Golden Knights-Blue Jackets Best Bet
Both teams are highly skilled at scoring, with Vegas sitting fifth in the league for goals per game and Columbus just behind them in sixth.
However, the Blue Jackets have a significant issue with their defense, currently ranking 27th in goals against.
This means they must excel offensively to compensate for their defensive struggles. On the other hand, Vegas has a respectable defensive performance and holds a winning record (14-12-4) on the road this season.
The Golden Knights should be able to generate enough offense to secure a victory and even the season series. For even better odds take the Golden Knights to win on the 3-way market instead.
Best Bet: Golden Knights to win in regulation at -120 odds
Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
Tony Reyes is a sports betting analyst and reporter for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X @TonyParlay.
