Two teams squaring off for the first time this year, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning take the ice at Amalie Arena for an Eastern Conference matchup. This one will get underway at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 13 and it can be viewed live on Fox Sports Ohio.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Odds
Tampa Bay (-185) is currently favored over Columbus (+160), and the oddsmakers have put the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals (-120 under, +100 over).
Columbus is 3-1 straight up (SU) and has earned 1.6 units for moneyline bettors this year. That SU winning percentage, ranked third in the NHL so far in this young season, is an improvement compared to what the team did during the 2017-18 season (45-37). The Jackets are 2-0 SU on the road in 2018-19.
The Blue Jackets have converted on 22.2 percent of their power play opportunities thus far. That’s a noticeable step forward from last season, when they were ranked 25th in the league by scoring on 17.0 percent of their extra-man chances. Their penalty kill has also gotten stronger since last year, as they’ve gone from successfully defending 75.0 percent of all opponent power plays (ranked 29th overall last season) to 80.0 percent this year.
The Jackets, as a collective unit, have been penalized just 2.5 times per game this season. Last year, that figure was the best mark in the league at 3.1 penalties per game. After serving an average of 7.2 penalty minutes per game a season ago the team’s had to stave off opponent power plays for only 5.0 minutes per outing this year.
Averaging 28.5 saves per game with a .919 save percentage, Sergei Bobrovsky (1-1) has been the best option in goal for Columbus this year. If it chooses to rest him, however, the team may turn to Joonas Korpisalo (2-0), who has a .902 save percentage and 2.95 goals against average this year.
The visiting Blue Jackets have relied on Artemi Panarin and Nick Foligno this season. Panarin has seven points via three goals and four assists this season; Foligno has two goals and two assists to his credit through the early stages of the regular season.
On the other bench, Tampa Bay is 1-1 straight up (SU) and has lost 1.9 units for moneyline bettors this year. Two of its games have gone under the total, while zero have gone over and none have pushed. The team’s 1-1 SU at home this year.
The Lightning have killed off an impressive 100.0 percent of all penalties, a few points better than the 75.9 percent they recorded a year ago (when they were ranked 28th in the NHL). They have scored on 0.0 percent of their power plays this year after converting on 24.8 percent (ranked fourth in league) last season.
Tampa Bay skaters have been penalized 4.5 times per game this season. Last year, that number was at 4.1, the fifth-worst mark in the league. After serving an average of 9.6 penalty minutes per game a year ago, the team has been forced to stave off opponent power plays for 9.0 minutes per outing this season.
Andrei Vasilevskiy (33.0 saves per game) has been the primary option in goal for the Lightning. Vasilevskiy has one win and one loss to his credit and has maintained a .957 save percentage and an outstanding 1.46 goals against average this season.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Tampa Bay Lightning Free Picks
Prediction: SU Winner – Blue Jackets, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes
Tampa Bay was 6-2 in in shootouts last season while Columbus was 6-4 in games that went to a shootout.
Tampa Bay’s skaters managed 7.2 takeaways per game and allowed 8.3 giveaways per game.
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