Time: 8:00 PM ET
Venue: Bridgestone Arena, 501 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203
Broadcast: ESPN+, FanDuel Sports Network South, Bally Sports Ohio | Radio: 102.5 The Game (NSH), 97.1 The Fan (CBJ)
Venue & Context
The Nashville Predators open their 2025–26 season at home in front of a raucous Bridgestone Arena crowd, looking to rebound from a disappointing 2024–25 campaign. The Columbus Blue Jackets, meanwhile, arrive with a youthful core and playoff aspirations after narrowly missing the postseason last year.
Injury Report
Columbus Blue Jackets
Cole Sillinger (C) – Day-to-Day, hand injury
Kirill Marchenko (RW) – Day-to-Day, undisclosed
No long-term absences reported
Nashville Predators
Nic Hague (D) – Upper Body (2–3 weeks, IR)
Matthew Wood (F) – Lower Body (week-to-week, IR)
Luke Evangelista (RW) – Recently signed, expected to play
Otherwise, Predators’ core veterans are healthy
Projected Player Matchups
Adam Fantilli – Kent Johnson – Kirill Marchenko (CBJ) vs. Filip Forsberg – Brady Martin (rookie) – Ryan O’Reilly (NSH)
A clash of Columbus’ young firepower against Nashville’s mix of veteran leadership and rookie debut excitement.
Sean Monahan – Boone Jenner (CBJ) vs. Steven Stamkos – Jonathan Marchessault (NSH)
Veteran centers and proven scorers anchoring their respective second lines.
Zach Werenski & Ivan Provorov (CBJ D) vs. Roman Josi & Brady Skjei (NSH D)
Elite puck-moving defensemen on both sides; Werenski and Josi are the engines of their blue lines.
Elvis Merzlikins (CBJ, G) vs. Juuse Saros (NSH, G)
Merzlikins seeks consistency after a rocky 2024–25, while Saros remains Nashville’s backbone.
Team Records (2024–25 Season)
Columbus Blue Jackets: 40-33-9 (89 pts), 7th in Metropolitan. 267 GF / 267 GA (even differential).
Nashville Predators: 30-44-8 (68 pts), 7th in Central. 212 GF / 274 GA (-62 differential).
Recent Form (Preseason & Last 5 Games)
Columbus: Lost 4 of last 5 preseason games, struggling offensively (avg. 2.2 GF).
Nashville: Mixed preseason (2-3), but closed with strong wins over Florida (5-3, 5-0).
Series History
All-Time: Predators lead 70-24-8 vs. Blue Jackets.
At Bridgestone Arena: Nashville dominates with a 43-6-3 record.
Recent Trend: Predators are 9-0 at home vs. Columbus since March 2019.
Betting Trends
Predators as Favorite (2024–25): 17-22 when favored.
Blue Jackets as Underdog (2024–25): 29-38 overall, but 22-34 when +110 or longer.
Totals: Columbus games went Over 52 times last season; Nashville 37 times.
Head-to-Head: Over has hit in 4 of last 6 meetings.
Game Odds
Columbus Blue Jackets 6.5
Nashville Predators – 122
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, October 8, 2025
