Lightning vs. Blue Jackets Pick
Can the Tampa Bay Lightning go on the road and pick up a win over the Columbus Blue Jackets when the two meet up tonight at 7PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Blue Jackets are favored at home tonight, as they are getting odds of -140 to win, while the Lightning are getting odds of +120 to prevail. The over/under total has been set at 5.5 goals. Tonight’s game takes place from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
The Lightning are coming off a 5-4 shootout loss to the Devils in New Jersey. Tampa is now 5-1-1 on the season and 1-1-1 on the road. The Lightning are scoring 3.86 goals per game while allowing 3.14 per contest this season. Nikita Kucherov has eight goals and four assists to lead the team while Steven Stamkos has two goals with 10 assists. Andrei Vasilevskiy is 5-1 in net for Tampa with a 3.00 GAA and a .914 save percentage.
Columbus is coming off a 5-2 win at Winnipeg on Tuesday. The Blue Jackets have won four straight to improve to 5-1 on the season. That includes a 2-0 record at home. The Jackets are averaging 3.50 goals per game while allowing 2.17 per contest. Artemi Panarin has one goal and seven assists to lead the team with eight points while Sonny Milano has four goals. Sergei Bobrovsky has been great in net, posting a 1.47 GAA in four games with a .952 save percentage.
Bet on Lightning vs. Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets have been hot in this series, winning three straight meetings. Columbus is also 31-12 in its last 43 home games. The Jackets have been getting great play in net while Tampa has been relying on out-scoring opponents. Eventually the puck stops going in the net and I think that happens tonight. The public is slightly behind the Blue Jackets as well, as Columbus is getting 55 percent of the wagers. Stick with Columbus at home.
NHL DAILY PREDICTION: COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS -140