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Utah Mammoth at Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL forecast

FinalESPN+, Utah 16, CBJNHL

Away

Mammoth

2-0-0

4–1

at

Home

Blue Jackets

1-1-0

UTA 52%CBJ 48%

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Nationwide Arena · ESPN+, Utah 16, CBJNHL

Win probability

Starts from the pregame forecast, then moves with every score and the time left. Above the line favors CBJ; hover for each play.

CBJ favored UTA favored5 scoring plays
P1P2P3CBJ50%UTA

Game center

From the ESPN box score.

Top performers

Mammoth
Blue Jackets

Scoring summary

  • P314:13Nick Schmaltz Goal (3) Wrist Shot, assists: Logan Cooley (3), Dylan Guenther (2)4–1
  • P35:59Dylan Guenther Goal (3) Slap Shot, assists: Logan Cooley (2), Mikhail Sergachev (2)3–1
  • P21:30Kent Johnson Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Matthew Knies (2)2–1
  • P116:31Nick Schmaltz Goal (2) Snap Shot, assists: Clayton Keller (4), John Marino (1)2–0
  • P111:55Mikhail Sergachev Goal (1) Slap Shot, assists: Dylan Guenther (1), Clayton Keller (3)1–0

Turning points

The 5 plays that swung the win chance most, each judged at its own moment: the chance with the score just before it against just after.

  1. P111:55Mikhail Sergachev Goal (1) Slap Shot, assists: Dylan Guenther (1), Clayton Keller (3)UTA 1 – 0 CBJ · UTA 52% → 67% +16
  2. P116:31Nick Schmaltz Goal (2) Snap Shot, assists: Clayton Keller (4), John Marino (1)UTA 2 – 0 CBJ · UTA 68% → 81% +14
  3. P21:30Kent Johnson Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Matthew Knies (2)UTA 2 – 1 CBJ · CBJ 17% → 31% +14
  4. P35:59Dylan Guenther Goal (3) Slap Shot, assists: Logan Cooley (2), Mikhail Sergachev (2)UTA 3 – 1 CBJ · UTA 78% → 94% +16
  5. P314:13Nick Schmaltz Goal (3) Wrist Shot, assists: Logan Cooley (3), Dylan Guenther (2)UTA 4 – 1 CBJ · UTA >99% → >99% +1

The pick

Reconstructed from what was known before the game: the ratings at that point and the closing line.

Mammoth 52%

Toss-upHit
UTA 52%CBJ 48%

Forecast Elo ratings alone

How often that comes true: NHL favorites the forecast gave 50–55% have won 51.2% of 926 graded games.

Market
UTA 52%
ML UTA -118 / CBJ -102
Pre-line forecast
UTA 45%
Elo + market-implied
Elo ratings
UTA 44%
Ratings vs. market
−7.8 pts
UTA: Elo 44.0%, market 51.7%
Fair odds
UTA -107
CBJ +107 · the forecast as odds, no margin
Pregame projection
UTA 3.3 – 3.2 CBJ
Margin from the forecast, posted total 6.5

How the number is built

Elo inputs in rating points (higher favors that team; 25–28 Elo is about a point of spread in football and basketball), then how the pieces combine.

FactorUTACBJWhy
Team rating15091506Elo entering the game; 1500 is league average
Home field—+35Worth 35 Elo in the NHL
Starting goalies−5+5UTA: Sebastian Cossa (no track record yet) · CBJ: Jet Greaves: team allows 0.12 fewer goals than with its usual starter (≈39 weighted starts)
Elo ratingsCBJ +42 EloCBJ 56.0%
Market-implied ratingsCBJ 55.2%Team strength as past closing lines priced it, same game context
Pre-line forecastCBJ 55.4%20% Elo, 80% market-implied (log-odds blend)
ForecastUTA 51.7%Follows the market (vig removed): in testing, adding the ratings made it less accurate

Tale of the tape

Last season (2025-26) coming into the game, regular season, each number with its league rank (the longer the bar, the higher). Home and road: the host's record at home against the visitor's on the road. Overtime and shootout losses count as losses in these records. Opponent Elo: how strong the teams each has played are, 1st the toughest. Shot share is a team's share of the shots on goal in its games. PDO adds shooting and save percentages: far from 100 tends to even out.

Try another venue →
Utah Mammoth and Columbus Blue Jackets compared, with each team's league rank
UTAStatCBJ
13th of 323.3Goals scored3.116th of 32
4th of 322.9Goals allowed3.116th of 32
8th of 32+0.3Margin0.016th of 32
8th of 3251.4%Shot share50.5%13th of 32
21st of 3289.3%Save percentage89.9%12th of 32
8th of 326–4Last 102–827th of 32
10th of 3221–20Road vs home20–2121st of 32
25th of 321498Opponent Elo15038th of 32
14th of 321509Elo rating150617th of 32

Rating history

Each team's Elo over the last two seasons. Hover or drag to compare on any date.

MammothBlue Jackets
145015001550league averageNovFebMayAugNov

Against the line

How each team has done against the closing spread and total, coming into this game.

Last season (2025-26)UTACBJ
Puck line41–4742–40
Last 105–52–8
Favorite20–3610–24
Underdog21–1132–16
Overs–unders47–4139–43
Overs–unders, last 106–44–6

Against each game's closing line. Books set every line knowing these records: across 3,901 past games, the team with the better record against the spread so far that season covered 51.2%, short of the 52.4% a standard −110 bet needs, and over/under streaks held 48.0% of the time. They describe the past.

Head to head

UTA 2–2 CBJ in their last 4 meetings; the forecast called 2 of 4.