Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets Betting Pick & Prediction 2/10/24

Looking to win big? The Lightning and Blue Jackets face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Blue Jackets are hosting the game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. The Lightning come into this Eastern conference matchup as the -1.5 goal favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 6.5 goals.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING VS COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets +1.5

This game will be played at Nationwide Arena at 7:00 ET on Saturday, February 10th.

WHY BET THE COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS:

• Even though they are considered 1.5-goal underdogs, our projection points to a 4-3 win for the Blue Jackets.
• We like the Blue Jackets on the moneyline (+145)
• The Blue Jackets are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Are the Lightning Ready for a Win at Columbus?

When playing on the road this season, the Lightning have gone 10-15-2 and have dropped their last two games away from home. In the Eastern Conference standings, Tampa Bay is in 7th place and 4th in the Atlantic Division. Over their last ten games, the Lightning have gone 7-3 and have won three straight games when favored.

Overall, Tampa Bay has a record of 27-20-5 and has been favored in 29 of their 52 games. Against teams from the Eastern Conference, the Lightning have gone 12-14 this season and have gone 19-9-1 when favored. In their last five games, Tampa Bay has gone 3-2.

On the road this season, Tampa Bay has a puck line record of 10-17, and their average scoring margin is -.9 goals per game. So far, the Lightning have won 19 games by multiple goals and have 18 losses by more than one goal.

Overall, Tampa Bay’s puck line record is 26-26, and their puck line record as the favorite is 13-16. In their last ten games, the Lightning have gone 6-4 against the puck line.

For the season, the average number of goals per game in matchups featuring Tampa Bay is 6.8. The season’s average over/under line is currently at 6.5. The Lightning come in with an over/under record of 24-24-4.

In their last three games away from home, the Lightning have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 3 goals per game in these contests.

In terms of their offensive performance, the Lightning are averaging 3.4 goals per game this season, putting them in the 4th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 15th in the league. Looking at how the Lightning’s offense is performing during power plays, they are 1st in power play goals and 27th in shorthanded goals.

Tampa Bay’s current leading scorer is Nikita Kucherov. This season, he has 33 goals, which puts him 4th in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 54 assists so far.

Columbus defense takes on the Lightning ranked 6th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are averaging 33.1 shots per game against Columbus. They also are 28th in shutouts, with 1 shutouts.

Heading into this matchup vs. Columbus, goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has started 27 games in this season. His current record is 16-11, and his save percentage stands at 0.728%.

Will the Blue Jackets Pull Through as the Home Underdog?

At home this season, the Blue Jackets have struggled, going just 9-13-4. In the Eastern Conference, Columbus is 16th with a record of 16-24-10. Against other teams from the Metropolitan Division, the Blue Jackets are 3-13.

Over their last 10 games, Columbus has gone just 3-7, and they have lost two of their last three games. As the underdog this season, the Blue Jackets have gone 15-22-9.

On the season, the Blue Jackets have an average scoring margin of -0.7 goals per game, and they have gone 30-20 against the puck line. So far, Columbus has gone 29-17 against the puck line as the underdog, and they have 19 losses by more than one goal.

At home, the Blue Jackets have gone just 13-13 against the puck line, and their average scoring margin is -0.7 goals per game. In their last ten home games, Columbus has gone just 4-6 against the puck line.

Games involving Columbus have an average of 6.6 goals per game this season. Their average over/under line is 6.5. In terms of their over/under performance, the Blue Jackets come in with a record of 25-22-3.

In their last three games away from home, the Lightning have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 3 goals per game in this stretch.

When looking at their offense, the Blue Jackets have an average of 2.9 goals per game this season, positioning themselves 23rd in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are ranked 22nd in the league. In terms of the Blue Jackets’ offense during power plays, they are 29th in power play goals and 30th in shorthanded goals.

Columbus’ current leading scorer is Kirill Marchenko. This season, he has 15 goals, which puts him 85th in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, Marchenko has 10 assists this season.

Columbus defense takes on the Lightning ranked 6th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are averaging 33.1 shots per game against Columbus. They also are 28th in shutouts, with 1 shutouts.

Heading into this matchup vs. Tampa Bay, goalie Elvis Merzlikins has started 28 games in this season. His current record is 9-10, and his save percentage stands at 0.816%.