Free NHL Hockey Prediction: Blue Jackets vs. Lighting NHL Odds
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(33-22-11-4) Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Tampa Bay Lighting (43-21-5-1)
Date: Thursday, August 13th
Time: 7:30 PM PST
Venue: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
NHL Hockey Moneyline Odds: Columbus +155 | Tampa -165
NHL Hockey Puck Line Odds: Blue Jackets +1.5 | Lighting -1.5
NHL Betting Total: 6.5
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If you’re going to play a 5 overtime game (4th longest in NHL history) you better make sure you win it.
After losing the opening game in their series against Tampa, Columbus takes a blow to their morale and they can’t look forward to any hometown crowds cheering them on in this series to get it back.
Still, the Columbus Blue Jackets vs Tampa Bay Lightning is far from over and should shape up to be an intriguing series. With the storyline of potential redemption for the Lightning and the Blue Jackets looking to prove 2019 wasn’t a fluke.
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Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets typically allow very few high-quality scoring chances, as well as having some extraordinary goaltending, with Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzilkins. In this post-season especially, the Blue Jackets have received superior goaltending in a limited sample.
Unfortunately, as we saw, spectacular goaltending doesn’t win the game. Not to mention, the Blue Jackets allowed some high-quality chances against and had to be bailed out by their goaltender multiple times on Tues.
So while Columbus proved in their qualifier series that they are the same, offense-stifling, relentless team that swept Tampa Bay last year, the Blue Jackets may not be as offensively talented to put a game away.
But they are opportunistic, and they will make the Lightning pay if they make mistakes, if they tighten up the defense and make it a low-scoring series, they are far from out. And as we saw against Toronto, this is a team that can bounce back from bad loss.
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Tampa Bay Lighting
The match up leans much more in Tampa’s favour than it did the Leafs when they faced Columbus in the qualifier.
The Lightning are also one of the best teams defensively at five on five. But the Blue Jackets are better on that score. Still, the fact that Tampa is so strong defensively could prove to be an issue for Columbus. If Tampa gets a one-goal lead, they are just as equipped to defend it as the Blue Jackets are.
Top line centre, Brayden Point, scored the winning goal to end Tues grueling game (his second of the night), and it demonstrated that Tampa’s young offense have the legs to outlast the Blue Jackets defense.
The Lightning will likely again deploy Andrei Vasilevskiy between the pipes for game 2 as Vasilevskiy set a new Lightning team record with 61 saves in Game 1.
Free Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Tampa Bay Lighting NHL Prediction:
4* Free NHL Betting Pick: Lighting ML
Columbus has played three overtime games between the qualifying round and Tues first round opener. You have to wonder that isn’t taking a toll.
Look for Tampa to try and score early, it will be hard for Columbus to come back from even a one goal deficit against the Lighting. Take Tampa and the under.
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