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Ladies and gentleman, hockey is back! Later this afternoon, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Columbus Blue Jackets will attempt to shake off some early-season rust as both sides will face off on the ice. Join us for our NHL odds series, where our Lightning-Blue Jackets prediction and pick will be revealed.
Coming up short in an attempt to win their third consecutive Stanley Cup, Tampa Bay didn't have much time during the offseason to turn the page and begin preparations for a brand new season. After compiling a 51-23-8 record a season ago and with a majority of the roster returning for the 2022-2023 season, there is reason to believe that the Lightning has what it takes to capture their third Lord Stanley in four years. Tampa Bay will look to capture their first win of the season as they dropped the opening game on their scheduled slate in New York by a score of 3-1.
Like the Lightning, the Columbus Blue Jackets also begun the regular season out on the road and went down in defeat by only scoring a singular goal in the 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. After finishing last year with an average record of 37-38-7, Columbus is eager to take that next step in becoming a formidable force in the Eastern Conference. Under former player and now Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen running the show in his second year, expectations are high in the capital of Ohio.
Here are the Lightning-Blue Jackets NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Lightning-Blue Jackets Odds
Tampa Bay Lightning: -1.5 (+130)
Columbus Blue Jackets: +1.5 (-162)
Over: 6 (-120)
Under: 6 (-102)
Why The Lightning Could Cover The Spread
For many around the hockey universe and none more so than the Lightning locker room, the belief was that Tampa Bay would have a tremendous shot to officially become a dynasty by winning their third Stanley Cup in just as many years. However, the Lightning ran into an extremely skilled Avalanche squad that put an end to their dynasty aspirations, as Tampa Bay was quickly forced to take a long, hard look in the mirror prior to the regular season beginning play once again. Fortunately, head coach Jon Cooper is inheriting a roster that few teams in the NHL can compete with on a nightly basis.
When it comes to covering the spread on Friday evening versus Columbus, the Lightning needs to play clean hockey and avoid taking multiple trips to the penalty box. Against the Rangers, Tampa Bay was faced with four different penalties late in that contest, and while they were able to kill three of them, playing shorthanded gassed multiple skaters which helped New York pull away in the closing moments. In fact, four penalty killers averaged shift times of at least one minute in length which pretty much served as a death sentence for the Lightning.
Ideally, the Lightning will also cover the spread in large part due to dynamic playmakers such as Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, and Steven Stamkos having effective nights as Tampa Bay's top-scoring options on offense. Not to mention, superstar goaltender Andrei Vasilevsky remains one of the best net-minders in the game.
Why The Blue Jackets Could Cover The Spread
A season ago, Columbus was a middle-of-the-pack squad that showed flashes of splendid play but also lacked the consistency to compete with some of hockey's best at a consistent level. However, this organization is confident that they can become a legitimate playoff contender with a core group of young talent mixed in with veteran leadership that almost every team needs if it wants to be successful.
In order to send the Lightning to 0-2 to start the season and secure their first win of the season by covering the spread, expect the Blue Jackets to receive a huge boost with the return of starting goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, who was absent in the starting lineup after dealing with an apparent illness. Without a doubt, Merzlikins will provide a huge boost to a team that is in need to stop some pucks from reaching the back of the net.
In addition, the Blue Jackets will have the talents of Johnny Hockey himself in Johnny Gaudreau who may be in line to make his Blue Jackets home debut after coming over from Calgary during the offseason. At the ripe age of 29, Gaudreau is one of the top offensive playmaking skaters in the entire league and can change the tone of a game at any moment he is on the ice.
Final Lightning-Blue Jackets Prediction & Pick
While Columbus is preparing to play their first game in front of their home fans at Nationwide Arena, the Blue Jackets should receive an extra dose of energy from the crowd who has early-season playoff expectations. Columbus takes care of business on Friday!
Final Lightning-Blue Jackets Prediction & Pick: Blue Jackets +1.5 (-162)
