Columbus Blue Jackets (14-15-6) vs. Los Angeles Kings (15-10-9)
The 2025-26 NHL season goes on Monday, December 22, with the Columbus Blue Jackets taking on the Los Angeles Kings in the cross-conference showdown at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA, and we’ve got you covered with our Blue Jackets vs. Kings prediction.
Columbus meets Los Angeles for the first time this season. They split a two-game set last season, with each team emerging victorious on the road. The Kings have dominated the Blue Jackets over the last few years, winning six of their previous eight encounters.
Read more about this Blue Jackets vs. Kings prediction, and check out all our NHL picks for Monday’s card. The Kings open as -205 moneyline favorites with a total of 5.5 goals, and the puck drop is set at 10:00 PM ET.
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Terms & Conditions The Blue Jackets continue to struggle
The Columbus Blue Jackets have only won one of their previous eight games overall. After stopping their five-game slide with a 4-3 overtime victory to the Anaheim Ducks, the Blue Jackets have dropped consecutive games against the Minnesota Wild 5-2 at home and the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 on the road.
Last Saturday, the Blue Jackets erased a two-goal deficit in Anaheim, but they ultimately failed to force overtime and earn at least a point. Mason Marchment scored on his debut in the Jackets uniform, while Elvis Merzlikins gave up four goals on 28 shots.
Merzlikins fell to 6-6-1 on the season. He has a hideous 4.04 GAA and a .877 save percentage, while Jet Greaves carries an 8-9-5 record with a 2.77 GAA and a .904 save percentage. Greaves is expected to get the starting call on Monday.
The Blue Jackets are dead last in the NHL in goals against (3.51 per game) and 21st in goals for (2.89). Defenseman Zach Werenski leads the way with 14 goals and 26 assists, while winger Kirill Marchenko has amassed 10 goals and 16 assists. Winger Miles Wood (G8, A4) is questionable for Monday’s game against the Kings due to a lower-body injury.
The Kings’ losing streak is over
The Los Angeles Kings broke out of their funk last Thursday. After four straight defeats against the Seattle Kraken 3-2 OT, the Calgary Flames 2-1 OT, the Dallas Stars 4-1, and the Florida Panthers 3-2, the Kings outlasted the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on the road.
The Lightning outshot the Kings 32-20, but Anton Forsberg had a big game in the crease. The Kings overcame a 1-0 deficit, as winger Adrian Kempe scored a couple of goals in the second period. Kempe has recorded five goals and three assists across nine games this month.
Forsberg advanced to 5-4-3 on the season, holding a 2.69 GAA and a .901 save percentage. With Darcy Kuemper on the IR, Forsberg will almost certainly guard the cage Monday against the Blue Jackets. Pheonix Copley is a backup, and the 33-year-old netminder has gone 7-6-0 with a 3.13 GAA and a .885 save percentage in the AHL this season.
The Kings allow 2.50 goals per game (tied for 2nd in the NHL) and score 2.56 goals in return (29th). Kempe leads the charge with 13 goals and 17 assists, while fellow winger Kevin Fiala has accounted for 12 goals and 11 assists.
Blue Jackets vs. Kings Pick Spread Pick for Blue Jackets vs. Kings Columbus Blue Jackets +1.5 (5 units)
Both Columbus and Los Angeles have struggled lately. The Blue Jackets cannot stop anyone, while the Kings desperately need more from their offense. On paper, the Kings look like a better team, but I cannot trust them to beat the puckline.
Five of the Kings’ last seven wins have come by one goal. At home, the Kings have gone 3-11 against the number, while the Blue Jackets have gone 13-6 against the spread on the road. Given the Blue Jackets’ defensive woes, the Kings should get things going a bit, but Columbus could easily take advantage of Darcy Kuemper’s absence and score a few goals.
Over/Under Pick for Blue Jackets vs. Kings
The Kings lean on their defense, and none of their last five contests has seen more than five goals on the scoreboard. That could easily change when the Blue Jackets come to town. Columbus is one of the worst defensive teams in the league, but the Kings miss their starting goalie, and the Jackets can score. Four of the Jackets’ last five games have produced at least seven goals in total.
Hereof, I will take the over on the total. Both teams are struggling to defend with a man down, so we could see a couple of power-play goals in this game.
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