Posted at 10:00 AM EST. Odds are subject to change.

Pittsburgh +103 over Columbus 

7:00 PM EST. There's rested, and then there's rusty. Columbus has been sitting around for five full days, and while that sounds wonderful for a team nursing bumps and bruises, it doesn't necessarily translate into sharp hockey. The Blue Jackets have had plenty of time to recover, but there's no substitute for actually playing games.

That's where Pittsburgh has an interesting advantage tonight. The Penguins have an opportunity to catch Columbus before the Blue Jackets rediscover their rhythm. Five days without a game can affect timing, puck movement, defensive positioning and the little details that separate a clean breakout from a turnover in your own end. Those things don't always return the moment the puck drops.

Columbus will undoubtedly be pleased to get back on the ice, but enthusiasm and execution are two different things. The Blue Jackets could spend the opening period trying to find their legs while Pittsburgh is already operating at game speed.

The betting market often treats extended rest as an automatic advantage, but that assumption deserves scrutiny. Hockey is a game of timing and repetition, and lengthy layoffs can interrupt both. There's a difference between giving tired players a couple of days to recharge and leaving an entire team idle for nearly a week.

Pittsburgh doesn't have to be the better team over the course of an entire season to be the right side tonight. This is about identifying a favorable scheduling spot and taking advantage of a Columbus team that may need some time to shake off the cobwebs.

The Blue Jackets have enjoyed their extended vacation. Now they have to remember how to play hockey.

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