Columbus Blue Jackets vs Colorado Avalanche Picks & Predictions for Saturday, January 10, 2026

By: Kim Smith Published 01/10/2026, 12:50 AM ET

The Columbus Blue Jackets visit Ball Arena to take on the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, January 10, 2026, with puck drop set for 4:00 PM ET on ESPN+. Columbus enters at 18-18-7 (9-11-3 away), while Colorado is rolling at 32-4-7 (18-0-2 home). This one sets up as a tough spot for the road side and a key game for anyone tracking free NHL picks.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Volume Shooting, But Leaky Defending

Columbus has some offensive bite, averaging 2.98 goals per game, and they generate chances with 30.3 shots per game. The issue is what happens at the other end: they’re giving up 3.36 goals against per game while allowing 31.1 shots against per game, which is a rough profile to bring into an elite home building.

Special teams are also middling. The Blue Jackets’ power play sits at 17.9%, and the penalty kill is at 76.0%, which can become a problem if they spend too much time defending or take a couple of early penalties that let Colorado dictate pace.

Columbus is 1-4 in its last five, and three of those losses came while allowing 5 goals (including an overtime loss). That trend matters because Colorado is exactly the type of opponent that can bury defensive lapses quickly.

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From the injury report, Columbus lists Miles Wood (IR) and Isac Lundestrom (IR).

Colorado Avalanche: Elite Scoring, Elite Suppression, Dominant at Home

Colorado’s team profile is the strongest on the slate. They’re scoring 3.95 goals per game and allowing just 2.21 goals against per game, while owning a massive shot margin (34.5 SF/G vs 26.8 SA/G). That’s not just “good”—that’s puck control dominance.

Special teams aren’t the headline, but they’re solid where it counts: 16.1% on the power play isn’t eye-popping, yet the penalty kill at 85.0% is a major plus, especially against an opponent whose power play is only average.

Recent form is strong at 3-2 in the last five, and the ceiling is obvious—they just put up 8 goals in their most recent game. Most importantly, Colorado’s home record (18-0-2) tells you how hard it is to survive here for 60 minutes.

From the injury report, Colorado lists Joel Kiviranta (out), Devon Toews (out), Gabriel Landeskog (out), and Mackenzie Blackwood (IR).

Points To Consider

This matchup is mostly about matchup math. Colorado drives play (shot volume + shot suppression), scores at a high clip, and rarely gives away easy special-teams goals because of that 85.0% penalty kill. Columbus can create some looks, but their defensive numbers (shots against + goals against) are a poor fit against a team that attacks in waves—especially in a building where Colorado has essentially been automatic.

If Columbus is going to hang around, it likely requires (1) staying disciplined to avoid extended defensive-zone time after penalties, and (2) keeping the game in the low-to-mid scoring range. But the recent trend of Columbus allowing 5 goals in multiple games makes that a tall ask.

Columbus Blue Jackets vs Colorado Avalanche Prediction

I’m backing Colorado on the moneyline, and I also like Colorado to cover the puck line because the home dominance plus the gap in defensive profiles is hard to ignore. For the total, Colorado’s scoring rate is high enough to get you to an over by themselves, and Columbus’ goals-against rate supports that path.

Best Bet: Avalanche -1.5

Side Lean: Avalanche ML (parlay piece)

Final Score Prediction: Avalanche 5, Blue Jackets 2

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