Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Carolina Hurricanes Picks and Predictions for Tuesday December 9 2025

By: Kim Smith Published 12/09/2025, 01:30 AM ET

The Metropolitan Division takes centre stage on Tuesday as the Columbus Blue Jackets visit the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center, with puck drop set for 7:30 PM ET on ESPN+/Hulu. Bettors eyeing this matchup should start by checking out the latest free NHL picks before locking anything in, because this one features a surging Carolina side that remains dangerous at home and a Columbus team capable of spoiling the party when its power play is clicking.

Blue Jackets Outlook

Columbus comes in at 13-10-6 overall and 7-7-3 on the road, leaning heavily on Zach Werenski’s two-way brilliance. Werenski leads the Jackets with 30 points (9 goals, 21 assists), acting as the engine of both their breakout and their power play. Rookie centre Adam Fantilli has been a bright spot too, pacing the team with 11 goals and showing a knack for finishing in tight spaces and on the man advantage. The issue for Columbus is defensive consistency: they’re allowing 3.38 goals per game, and both Jet Greaves (2.71 GAA, .907 SV%) and Elvis Merzlikins (3.87 GAA, .885 SV%) have had nights where rebounds and traffic in front become a serious problem.

Hurricanes Outlook

Carolina, at 17-9-2 and 9-5-1 at home, continues to do what Carolina always seems to do: drive possession, out-shoot opponents, and suffocate them in the defensive zone. The Hurricanes are averaging 3.32 goals for and only 2.89 against, with an impressive 33.3 shots per game while allowing just 24.3. Sebastian Aho leads the Canes with 26 points (9G, 17A), while Seth Jarvis has emerged as a major scoring threat with 16 goals. Shayne Gostisbehere has fit perfectly as an offensive blue-liner, adding 18 assists and helping drive a power play that is starting to edge upwards at 15.3%. In goal, Brandon Bussi (8-1-0, 2.21 GAA, .903 SV%) has provided stability when called upon, while Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov give Rod Brind’Amour plenty of options.

Blue Jackets vs Hurricanes Pick

Discipline and special teams could decide this one. Columbus sits at 18.3% on the power play and a vulnerable 72.2% on the penalty kill, while Carolina counters with a somewhat modest 15.3% PP but a stronger all-around defensive structure that makes their 79.0% kill feel more robust than the raw number suggests. The Jackets’ path to an upset likely involves Werenski and Fantilli cashing in on the man advantage and Greaves stealing some high-danger chances early to keep Columbus in it. The best sportsbooks are the best way to go when you are betting on the Blue Jackets. Make sure you know about how the fans are looking on prediction markets for the Hurricanes with the Onyx Odds promo code. Getting the most out of your bets on Blue Jackets vs Hurricanes can be done by using the Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.

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Best Pick:

Carolina’s deeper forward group, stronger 5-on-5 metrics, and home-ice edge make them the rightful favourite. Laying the moneyline with the Hurricanes is the safer side, and if you’re looking for a bit more value, a small lean toward Carolina to win and the total under 6.5 has appeal given how stingy they can be defensively when protecting a lead.