The Tampa Bay Lightning (16-10-2) welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets (12-14-5) to Amalie Arena on Tuesday night in what promises to be an electrifying Eastern Conference matchup.
The Lightning enter the contest riding high with wins in four of their last five games, powered by NHL scoring sensation Nikita Kucherov who has amassed an impressive 14 points in his last six appearances.
Columbus, despite sitting just three points out of a wildcard spot, comes into the game struggling with four consecutive losses and will need to find answers for Tampa Bay's league-leading offense that's averaging 4.0 goals per game.
Recent history favors the home team, with Tampa Bay claiming victory in seven of the last ten meetings between these clubs, though Columbus did emerge victorious in their most recent encounter in a high-scoring 7-6 affair.
The goaltending battle will feature Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has posted solid numbers with a 2.41 GAA and .910 save percentage, against Columbus's Elvis Merzlikins who has struggled to find consistency this season.
As these Eastern Conference rivals prepare to face off, both teams' recent offensive outputs suggest fans could be in for another high-scoring affair, with special attention focused on whether the Blue Jackets can contain Tampa Bay's potent attack.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Columbus Blue Jackets: who will win?
For tonight's Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets matchup, our predictive model gives the Lightning a 68.33% chance of defeating the Blue Jackets.
Pre-game probabilities
Tampa Bay Lightning
Moneyline
Win %
68.33%
31.67%
Columbus Blue Jackets
Tampa Bay Lightning: 68.33% win probability
- Superior offensive efficiency (112 goals scored in 28 games)
- Better defensive record (82 goals against compared to Columbus' 111)
- Stronger win-loss record (16-10 vs Columbus' 12-14)
Columbus Blue Jackets: 31.67% win probability
- Poor recent form (LLLLW in last 5 games)
- Defensive struggles (111 goals against in 31 games)
- Lower points total (29 points vs Tampa Bay's 34 in fewer games)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts. Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts..
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Columbus Blue Jackets | |
|---|---|---|
| moneyline |
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Columbus Blue Jackets form
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Columbus Blue Jackets head to head
Tampa Bay Lightning
67%
Columbus Blue Jackets
33%
Nov 22, 2024
Columbus Blue Jackets
7 : 6
Tampa Bay Lightning
Apr 9, 2024
Tampa Bay Lightning
5 : 2
Columbus Blue Jackets
Feb 11, 2024
Columbus Blue Jackets
2 : 4
Tampa Bay Lightning
Nov 2, 2023
Columbus Blue Jackets
4 : 2
Tampa Bay Lightning
Jan 11, 2023
Tampa Bay Lightning
6 : 3
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dec 16, 2022
Tampa Bay Lightning
4 : 1
Columbus Blue Jackets
