The Tampa Bay Lightning (0-1-0) and Columbus Blue Jackets (0-1-0) lock horns in a 7 p.m. ET game at Nationwide Arena Friday night. Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Lightning at Blue Jackets, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Tampa Bay is opening its season with 3 straight games on the road. The Lightning lost 3-1 at the New York Rangers in a Tuesday battle to open its season. The Bolts allowed 39 shots in that game.
The Blue Jackets opened their season Wednesday with a 4-1 loss at the Carolina Hurricanes. Columbus struggled on faceoffs and coughed up 43 shots in that opener. The Jackets now return to Nationwide Arena where last year they went 21-15-5.
Stream the NHL all season on ESPN+, with your team’s out-of-market games, exclusive games, originals and more. Get ESPN+ now!
Lightning at Blue Jackets odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 4:42 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Lightning -200 (bet $200 to win $100) | Blue Jackets +160 (bet $100 to win $160)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Lightning -1.5 (+120) | Blue Jackets +1.5 (-150)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: +105 | U: -130)
Claim your risk-free bet up to $350. Catch the excitement and start betting with Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!
Lightning at Blue Jackets projected goalies
Andre Vasilevskiy (0-1-0, 3.11 GAA, .923 SV%) vs. Daniil Tarasov (0-1-0, 4.00 GAA, .907 SV%)
Vasilevskiy owns a fine .921 SV% since the 2018-19 season. He’s registered a sparking .928 career mark against the Blue Jackets.
Tarasov played in 4 games as a rookie last season. He clocked a .937 SV%. The 23-year-old faced 43 shots, stopping 39, in the Blue Jackets’ opener.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Lightning at Blue Jackets picks and predictions
Prediction
Lightning 3, Blue Jackets 2
Moneyline
The Bolts have the talent edge here, but they are priced like its an all-ahead-full version of their style of play. Don’t pay that full freight until we see more of how a re-tooled roster gels. PASS.
Puck line/Against the spread
Tampa Bay is a lean here, but the Under is a bigger lean. Lightning bettors will need to thread the needle in a low-scoring game.
Keep an eye on this tag as the opening faceoff approaches. AVOID unless a Lightning -1.5 price of +130 hits the market.
Over/Under
Look for a strong start from Vasilevskiy at home in this spot. Both sides are dealing with some turnover, injuries, and new early-season linemates that may not be up to speed.
TAKE THE UNDER 6.5 (-130).
Want action on this game or any other NHL contests? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in CO and NJ. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1369]