The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning are set to face off at Amalie Arena in Game 2 of the postseason’s first round. CNBC, R360, TVA and FSOH will broadcast this Eastern Conference matchup, and the puck drops at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 12.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Tampa Bay Lightning Odds
Tampa Bay (-250) is being chosen as the big favorite over Columbus (+210), and the Over/Under (O/U) has been placed at 7 goals (-130 to bet the over, +110 for the under).
Netting 27.6 units for moneyline bettors, the Lightning are 62-21 straight up (SU) overall this year. That win percentage, the NHL’s best so far this season, is an improvement compared to how the team performed during the 2017-18 season (54-28). Of the team’s 83 games this season, 45 have gone over the total, while 35 have gone under and just three have pushed. Thus far, the team’s 32-10 SU at home.
Tampa Bay enters the matchup with the strongest power-play unit in the NHL, as it has converted on 28.0 percent of their extra-man chances this year. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked second overall, and it’s successfully killed off 84.8 percent of all penalties.
As a team, Tampa Bay has been whistled for penalties 4.0 times per game overall this season, 3.4 per game over its past five games total, and 4.2 per game over its last five at home. The team’s had to kill penalties for 11.2 minutes per game over its last five home outings.
Averaging 29.8 saves per game with a .924 save percentage, Andrei Vasilevskiy (39-15-4) has been the primary option in goal for the Lightning this season. If head coach Jon Cooper decides to give him a breather, however, the team might roll with Louis Domingue (21-5-5 record, .908 save percentage, 2.88 goals against average).
Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos will both lead the charge for the Lightning. Kucherov (128 points) has tallied 41 goals and 87 assists and has recorded two or more points on 38 different occasions this year. Stamkos has 45 goals and 53 assists to his name and has notched at least one point in 54 contests.
In the other locker room, Columbus is 48-35 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 3.6 units this year. Through 83 regular season matches, 45 of its games have gone under the total, while 32 have gone over and just six have pushed. As the road team, Columbus is 26-16 SU.
Columbus has converted on just 15.7 percent of its power play chances this year, a mark that places it in the bottom-five overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked third overall and it’s successfully killed off 85.2 percent of all penalties.
Columbus’ players have been penalized only 2.8 times per game this season, and 1.2 per game over their last five road outings. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 3.2 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Sergei Bobrovsky (2.59 goals against average and .913 save percentage) has been the primary option in goal for Columbus. Bobrovsky is averaging 25.9 saves per game and owns a 38-25-1 record.
Artemi Panarin (28 goals, 60 assists) has been one of the primary playmaking threats for the visiting Blue Jackets.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Picks
NHL Tip: SU Winner – Lightning, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- For both of these clubs, the game went over the total in three of their last five matchups.
- Power plays and penalty kills may prove to be extremely important tonight. The Blue Jackets are 24-13 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 41-28 when they’re in the box for fewer than 10 penalty minutes, total. The Lightning are 18-11 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 30-18 when they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
- Tampa Bay skaters have averaged 7.8 takeaways per game over its last five home games, an improvement over its season average of 7.0 takeaways per game (ranked 22nd overall).
- Columbus has averaged 7.0 takeaways per game over its last five road games, its season average of 7.5 takeaways per game (ranked 16th in the league).
