Prop Bets: Los Angeles Kings VS Columbus Blue Jackets 2026-03-09
Humorous Prediction: Kings vs. Blue Jackets – A Playoff Thriller or a Wild-Card Wipeout?
The Los Angeles Kings, currently the NHL’s version of a “wait, this team is still alive?”, will hit the road Monday to face the Columbus Blue Jackets, who’ve turned their season into a Netflix docu-series titled How We Stole the Playoffs. Let’s break down the numbers, because if there’s one thing both teams understand, it’s the art of almost making it.
The Odds:
- Moneyline: Blue Jackets (-150) vs. Kings (+210). Implied probabilities? Columbus has a 60% chance to “just win already,” while L.A. has a 33.3% shot to keep their playoff hopes alive via a miracle.
- Spreads: Blue Jackets -1.5 (-200) / Kings +1.5 (+170). BetRivers thinks Columbus will cover like a seasoned veteran, but the Kings? They’ll need to pull off a Houdini act just to stay in the race.
- Total Goals: 6.0-6.5 (Over/Under). Fanatics has the lowest total at 5.5, probably dreaming of a 1-0 shutout. DraftKings is more optimistic, pricing Over 6.5 at +214.
Key Context:
- Blue Jackets: Hired Rick Bowness in January, and he’s turned Columbus into a “we’re-not-quite-playoff-material-but-close-enough-to-hope” team (13-2-2 since the coaching change). They’ve scored 2 goals in the final 7 minutes of games recently—overtime losers, but losers nonetheless.
- Kings: A .422 points percentage at home (Crypto.com Arena’s vibe is “meh”) vs. a .781 on the road during long trips. Their interim coach, D.J. Smith, is managing a roster thinned by injuries (Kopitar’s out, Fiala’s out, Armia’s out—who’s in?).
Player Props?
None for this game. The only prop bets here are “Will Anže Kopitar return from injury?” (-500) and “Will the Kings’ power play finally score?” (+1000).
Prediction:
The Blue Jackets will win 4-3, thanks to a last-minute goal that’ll make L.A. fans scream, “We had that!" Columbus’ confidence is sky-high under Bowness, while the Kings’ road trip starts with a trip to Columbus, where they’ll face a team that’s desperate to clinch a wild-card spot. The Kings? They’ll need to outshoot the Blue Jackets 39-16 like they did against Montreal—but hope they don’t blow a 3-2 lead this time.
Final Score Prediction: Columbus 4, Los Angeles 3.
Because nothing says “playoff bound” like a game decided by a Hail Mary and a coach’s prayer. �🥅
Created: March 9, 2026, 8:33 a.m. GMT