March 9, 2026, 12:16 a.m. ET

The LA Kings (25-23-14) and Columbus Blue Jackets (32-21-9) meet Monday. Puck drop from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, is set for 4 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Kings vs. Blue Jackets odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

Season series: Blue Jackets 1-0 with 3-1 Dec. 22 as a +130 road underdog as the Under (5.5) cashed

The Kings lost 4-3 Saturday night to the Montreal Canadiens as a -125 home favorite as the Over (6) cashed. C Scott Laughton scored in his debut after being acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a trade Friday. C Anze Kopitar added his seventh goal, while RW Alex Laferriere scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period. G Darcy Kuemper struggled, allowed 4 goals on 23 shots faced. Los Angeles has now lost 7 of its last 9 games.

The Blue Jackets had their 3-game win streak snapped Saturday, falling 5-4 in overtime to the Utah Mammoth as a +100 home underdog as the Over (6.5) cashed. D Damon Severson, RW Mathieu Olivier, C Adam Fantilli and LW Mason Marchment each recorded a goal and an assist for Columbus. RW Kirill Marchenko added 2 assists to extend his point streak to 4 games, while C Charlie Coyle had 2 assists to push his points streak to 5. G Elvis Merzlikins finished with 18 saves in the loss.

Watch the NHL on Fubo!Kings at Blue Jackets odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:03 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Kings +110 (bet $100 to win $110) | Blue Jackets -135 (bet $135 to win $100)Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Kings +1.5 (-210) | Blue Jackets -1.5 (+170)Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: -115 | U: -105)Kings at Blue Jackets projected goalies

Darcy Kuemper (15-13-9, 2.72 GAA, .896 SV%, 2 SO) vs. Elvis Merzlikins (12-9-2, 3.53 GAA, .884 SV%, 1 SO)

Kuemper is 1-1 in March after taking the loss Saturday against the Canadiens with a 3.54 GAA and an .879 SV%. Kuemper has had mixed results against Columbus in his career, posting a 4-4-2 record with a 2.10 GAA and a .935 save percentage in 10 games. In his last start against the Blue Jackets on Jan. 25, 2025, he stopped 21 of 24 shots in a 3-2 overtime loss.

It has been a rough start to March for Merzlikins. He allowed 5 goals on 23 shots Saturday and is 1-0-0-1 with a 4.11 GAA and an .845 SV% so far this month. Merzlikins did have success in his last meeting with the Kings, earning a win in the Jan. 25, 2025, meeting, stopping 31 of 33 shots. In his career against Los Angeles, he is 3-3-2 with a 3.46 GAA and a .902 SV%.

Kings at Blue Jackets picks and predictionsPrediction

Blue Jackets 4, Kings 3

BET BLUE JACKETS (-135).

The Blue Jackets have won 3 of their last 4 games and have scored at least 4 goals in 3 of those, so the offense is clearly rolling right now. They’ve also been strong at home all season (17-8-6).

The Kings, on the other hand, have been pretty inconsistent. They just blew a late lead in a loss to Montreal and are still adjusting after firing coach Jim Hiller on March 1, with D.J. Smith in charge on an interim basis.

Columbus has also won the last 2 meetings between these teams. Marchenko continues to lead the offense with 22 goals and 54 points, while young players like Fantilli and RW Dmitri Voronkov have added strong secondary scoring. With the Kings allowing 4 or more goals in 3 of their last 5 games, Columbus looks like the better side at home.

PASS.

I am not interested at all in the puck line either way in this one.

PASS.

I’m staying away from the total in this matchup. If anything, the lean would be toward the Over since Columbus has been scoring plenty of goals lately and the Kings have been giving up more than usual. But the trends don’t give a clear edge. The total is 5-5 in the last 10 meetings between these teams, 5-4-1 in the Kings’ last 10 games and 4-5-1 in the Blue Jackets’ last 10. With the numbers that mixed, it’s best to pass on the total.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.