In a game between two squads that’ve started the season off strongly, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning meet at Amalie Arena in an Eastern Conference tilt. Fox Sports Ohio will air the game, and the puck drops at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 4.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Odds
With a -140 moneyline, Tampa Bay enters the matchup as the heavy favorite. The line for Columbus sits at +120, and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals. The odds for betting the total stand at -120 under, +100 over.
Earning moneyline bettors 4.7 units, Tampa Bay is 10-4 straight up (SU) overall in the 2017-18 season. That win percentage, ranked third in the league so far in the early season, is a solid improvement compared to what the team did during last year’s regular season (42-40). Of its 14 games this season, eight have gone over the total, while six have gone under and none have pushed. This season, the team is 6-2 SU at home.
The Lightning have been able to convert on 28.6 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that’s good enough for fifth-best in the NHL. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 13th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 81.1 percent of all penalties.
As a collective unit, the Lightning have been penalized 4.7 times per game this season. Last year, that number was at 4.3, the third-highest mark in the league. After serving an average of 10.7 penalty minutes per game a year ago, the team’s been forced to stave off opponent power plays for 10.3 minutes per matchup this season.
Averaging 31.2 saves per game with a .928 save percentage, Andrei Vasilevskiy (10 wins, two losses, and one OT loss) has been the primary goalkeeper for Tampa Bay this season. If the Bolts, however, choose to give him the night off, the team may go with the winless Peter Budaj (0-2-2 record, .855 save percentage, 4.00 goals against average).
The Bolts will continue to lean on the offensive production out of Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Stamkos (24 points) has produced six goals and 18 assists and has recorded two or more points eight times this year. Kucherov has 13 goals and eight assists to his name and has notched at least one point in 12 games.
Over on the other bench, Columbus is 9-4 straight up (SU) and has netted moneyline bettors 4.0 units this year. A total of seven of its outings have gone over the total, while six have gone under and none have pushed. As an away team, the Blue Jackets are 4-2 SU so far.
The Blue Jackets have converted on just 12.5 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s ranked 30th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked seventh overall and it’s successfully killed off 84.8 percent of all penalties.
Columbus’ skaters have been penalized only 3.2 times per game this season, a number that has improved from the 3.6 penalties per game given up last year. After serving an average of 8.8 penalty minutes per game a season ago the team has been forced to kill penalties for 7.4 minutes per matchup this year.
Sergei Bobrovsky (2.07 goals against average and .932 save percentage) has been the primary option in goal for Columbus. Bobrovsky is averaging 28.6 saves per game and owns an 8-2 record.
For the visiting Blue Jackets, the offense will be facilitated by Artemi Panarin (one goal, 10 assists) and Alexander Wennberg (one goal, eight assists).
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Predictions
Predictions: SU Winner – Lightning, O/U – Over
Betting Trends:
- The under has hit in three of Tampa Bay’s last five outings.
- The Blue Jackets have averaged the league’s third-most shots on goal (36.7) and Tampa Bay has attempted just the 22nd-most (31.2).
