Columbus Blue Jackets @ Florida Panthers - March 6, 2025

Alright, folks! Buckle up because we have an exciting matchup tonight as the Columbus Blue Jackets roll into the Sunshine State to take on the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena. Both teams are looking to secure a much-needed victory, but with Florida riding high after their recent win against the Lightning, they’re primed and ready to maintain their momentum.

First off, let’s talk about the Panthers. They’ve been hot lately, notching six wins in their last seven games and carrying a solid record of 26-16-3. Their offensive stats show they average 3.26 goals per game—pretty impressive! Their shooting percentage of 10.54% tells me they’re making good decisions when they get opportunities. Plus, with a power play that operates at 22.99%, they can capitalize on mistakes made by opponents. If Columbus slips up on penalties, it could be a long night for them.

Now let’s look at our boys from Columbus. They’ve been on fire lately too, winning five straight games and sporting a record of 21-17-6! With an average of 3.35 goals per game and a solid shooting percentage of 12.04%, they definitely know how to find the back of the net when given chances. However, their defense leaves something to be desired; with an 88.9% save percentage and only a 75.15% penalty kill success rate, I can see Florida exploiting those weaknesses if given half a chance.

So here’s what I think is going down tonight: I fully expect Florida to take home this victory—those odds are stacked in their favor as heavy favorites at -323. They’ve shown themselves capable of getting it done on both ends of the ice recently and will aim for another strong performance in front of their home crowd.

But don’t count out Columbus just yet! The Jackets have covered the spread in seven out of their last eight games and you know how it is—the underdog often finds ways to make things interesting! Plus with that offense firing on all cylinders lately—who knows? They could keep it close enough to cover that spread.

When we talk about total goals for this matchup, I believe we might see an UNDER outcome here based on recent trends from both teams; while each squad has been known to score, both defenses have shown up more than usual in recent contests which leads me to think that this one could end up being tighter than expected.

So there you have it: I’m calling for a Panthers win tonight with Columbus covering the spread while we look towards an UNDER total score prediction as these two clash in what should be an electrifying contest! Grab your lucky jersey, folks—game time is upon us! Go team go!