NHL Betting Preview: Lightning vs Blue Jackets

The Tampa Bay Lightning square off against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, with face-off scheduled for 19:00 on Saturday, January 24.

Lightning to Get the Better of Blue Jackets

There are many reasons to support the prediction that the Lightning will get the better of the Blue Jackets. Therefore, we’re heading to the Moneyline where you can get an attractive -120.

Following our Lightning pick? Before placing your bet, grab the latest BetMGM promo code and dive into our expert review.

Lightning Are 7 From 10 on the Head-to-Head

Tampa Bay Lightning have triumphed in their previous three games. The latest was on the road where Chicago Blackhawks were beaten 2-1 (SO) at United Center. Nikita Kucherov was the only player to find the net, with Andrei Vasilevskiy stopping 17 shots (.944).

Columbus Blue Jackets last game saw them claim a 1-0 home win over Dallas Stars at Nationwide Arena. Zach Werenski scored the only goal, with Jet Greaves recording 28 saves.

Head-to-Head Statistics

The Blue Jackets beat the Lightning when the teams last met. It was a 3-2 scoreline at Nationwide Arena. In the past 10 games between the teams, the Lightning have won seven.

Starting Goalies

Jonas Johansson (Expected)

Season	W-L-OTL:	GAA:	SV%:	SO:
24/25	10-6-1	2.7	.896	0
23/24	12-7-5	3.37	.890	2

Jet Greaves (Expected)

Season	W-L-OTL:	GAA:	SV%:	SO:
24/25	15-12-6	2.6	.910	1
23/24	3-6-0	3.49	.908	0

Tampa Bay Lightning – Last 10 Games

9 wins and 0 overtime loss, averaging 4.0 goals from 27.1 shots on goal, with a 19.6% powerplay efficiency. The Lightning have been giving up 1.7 goals from 22.5 shots, averaging 4.5 penalties with a penalty-killing efficiency of 91.1%.

Nikita Kucherov is the top points scorer with 23 points, 7 goals and 16 assists, with Brandon Hagel racking up 13 points, 7 goals and 6 assists, in the past 10 games. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy have a 1.58 goal against average with a .929 save percentage.

Columbus Blue Jackets – Last 10 Games

The Blue Jackets have 5 wins, 4 losses and 1 overtime loss, averaging 2.6 goals from 30.0 shots on goal, with a 20.0% powerplay efficiency. They have been conceding 3.2 goals from 30.8 shots, averaging 3.1 penalties per game with a penalty-killing efficiency of 77.4%.

The top points scorer is Zach Werenski with 11 points, 5 goals and 6 assists, while Kirill Marchenko is next best after registering 10 points, 4 goals and 6 assists. Goalie Jet Greaves have a 2.86 GAA with a .906 SV%, including one shutout.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction & Picks

Head into Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets with expert betting insights, including our main match prediction, best correct score pick and a value-driven bet builder. Dive into each section below for more.

Game Prediction

We’re heading to the Moneyline and our pick is for Tampa Bay Lightning to triumph in this NHL clash. The visitors have a strong chance of landing a victory and the -120 makes lots of appeal.

Incoming team news often impacts the NHL betting lines in significant ways. Our handicappers factor this in alongside recent form, while key stats are also carefully weighed to strengthen each hockey prediction.

Key Lightning vs Blue Jackets stats:

Lightning have won 9 of their last 10 games.
Lightning have won 16 of their last 20 games.
Lightning have won 3 consecutive games.
Blue Jackets have lost 7 of their last 10 games against Lightning.

Lightning Moneyline Probability

If you go by the best NHL sportsbooks, our pick has a 54.6% chance of landing a return. However, we think that the probability is close to 60% taking all factors into consideration. That means we’re regarding it as a value bet.

Looking for Bigger Odds?

There are some value betting options beyond simply backing Tampa Bay to win, with Puck Line, Winning Margin and 3-Way Moneyline viable alternatives to get more juice.

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Our Game Prediction

Lightning Moneyline @ -120 Watch Live Bet Now

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Disclosure: This preview contains affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. T&Cs apply. We only recommend licensed and regulated operators. See our Editorial Policy. Pick odds and lines reflect the price available at the time of publication (00:56, 24 January 2026). Live market odds are updated regularly and may differ. 18+ (or legal age) | Gamble Responsibly.

Published 00:56, 24 January 2026

Same Game Parlay Picks

Moneyline Lightning

Totals Under 6.5

Highest Scoring Period Second Period

Take a same game parlay that incorporates the Lightning on the moneyline combined with Under 6.5 goals. Add in the second period to be highest scoring.

A same game parlay allows hockey bettors to place a multiple wager on the same game. You can go through the available betting lines and props and cherry-pick the outcomes that you think will happen. The odds for each selection are then combined together.

Bet Boosts

Pick odds and lines correct at publication. Live market odds are updated regularly and may differ. T&Cs apply. 18+ (or legal age) | Gamble Responsibly.

Correct Score Prediction

Lightning

3 - 1 Blue Jackets logo

Blue Jackets

The Lightning are available to back at +2000 to secure a 3-1 victory. This is a risky but potentially more rewarding bet, with this correct score option providing appeal.

Latest Correct Score Odds

Score

1-0

2-0

2-1

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets Odds

The odds and lines are updated on a frequent basis. You might therefore find that they are different to the ones listed for the above betting predictions.

Close Game On the Cards According to Latest Odds

The Moneyline odds about Columbus Blue Jackets triumphing is priced at +102 and you can get Tampa Bay Lightning at -122. The leading sportsbooks give the hosts a 50% chance of success.

1.5 is where the puck line lies, with total goals being 6.5 right now. A Totals wager is always available and can often provide value selections. If you’re wanting to back Over 6.5, the odds are -106.

The best betting sites offer hundreds of game lines and team props when it comes to National Hockey League clashes. Make sure you look through all the available options before deciding which bet to place.

Moneyline

3-Way Moneyline

Puck Line

Total Goals

Nikita Kucherov Favorite to Light the Lamp First

Those interested in favorite Nikita Kucherov to find the net first are able to get +1000. If the Anytime Goalscorer angle makes appeal, then this is +135.

Player Goals

Nikita Kucherov (Lightning)

Jake Guentzel (Lightning)

Kirill Marchenko (Blue Jackets)

Brandon Hagel (Lightning)

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Player Assists

Nikita Kucherov (Lightning)

Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets)

Darren Raddysh (Lightning)

Jake Guentzel (Lightning)

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Player Shots

Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets)

Nikita Kucherov (Lightning)

Jake Guentzel (Lightning)

Kirill Marchenko (Blue Jackets)

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Micro Betting

There are always opportunities to enjoy NHL micro betting. It’s generally the case that you will find team and player props in-game and bettors can use their insight to wager on outcomes such as the Next Goal or Next Goalscorer.

Best Betting Offers

Last 5 & H2H

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Last 5 Games

Lightning

NHL: 24/01 Lightning2 Blackhawks 1
NHL: 21/01 Sharks1 Lightning 4
NHL: 18/01 Lightning4 Stars 1
NHL: 17/01 Lightning2 Blues 3
NHL: 14/01 Lightning2 Penguins 1

Blue Jackets

NHL: 23/01 Stars0 Blue Jackets 1
NHL: 21/01 Senators4 Blue Jackets 1
NHL: 18/01 Blue Jackets4 Penguins 3
NHL: 16/01 Canucks1 Blue Jackets 4
NHL: 14/01 Flames3 Blue Jackets 5

Head to Head

Tampa Bay vs Columbus

NHL: 19/10 2025 Lightning 2 Blue Jackets 3
NHL: 05/03 2025 Blue Jackets 2 Lightning 6
NHL: 18/12 2024 Blue Jackets 3 Lightning 5
NHL: 22/11 2024 Lightning 6 Blue Jackets 7
NHL: 10/04 2024 Blue Jackets 2 Lightning 5
NHL: 11/02 2024 Lightning 4 Blue Jackets 2
NHL: 03/11 2023 Lightning 2 Blue Jackets 4
NHL: 11/01 2023 Blue Jackets 3 Lightning 6
NHL: 16/12 2022 Blue Jackets 1 Lightning 4
NHL: 15/10 2022 Lightning 5 Blue Jackets 2

Team Stats

Latest regular season and playoff games stats.

Tampa Bay Lightning Stats

Columbus Blue Jackets Stats

Moneyline

9 wins and 1 defeat in the last 10 games
9 wins and 1 defeat in the last 10 games on the road

Moneyline

5 wins and 5 defeats in the last 10 games
6 wins and 4 defeats in the last 10 home games

Puck Line

-1.5 Betting Line: Have covered the -1.5 puck line in 7 of the last 10 games
-1.5 Betting Line on the Road: Have covered the -1.5 puck line in 6 of the last 10 games on the road

Puck Line

+1.5 Betting Line: Have covered the +1.5 puck line in 6 of the last 10 games
+1.5 Betting Line at Home: Have covered the +1.5 puck line in 8 of the last 10 home games

Total Goals

Game Totals: An average of 6.00 goals in the previous 10 games
Game Totals on the Road: An average of 6.20 goals in the previous 10 games on the road
Over 6.5: Covered in 3 of the previous 10 games
Over 6.5 on the Road: Covered in 4 of the previous 10 games on the road
Team Totals: Have scored an average of 4.20 goals and allowed 1.80 goals in the last 10 games
Team Totals on the Road: Have scored an average of 4.20 pts and allowed 2.00 goals in the last 10 games on the road

Total Goals

Game Totals: An average of 5.90 goals in the previous 10 games
Game Totals at Home: An average of 5.90 goals in the previous 10 home games
Over 6.5: Covered in 5 of the previous 10 games
Over 6.5 at Home: Covered in 4 of the previous 10 home games
Team Totals: Have scored an average of 2.70 goals and allowed 3.20 goals in the last 10 games
Team Totals at Home: Have scored an average of 3.20 goals and allowed 2.70 goals in the last 10 home games

Team Stats - Avg/Game

Last 10 Games

Goals Powerplay: 0.9
Shots: 27.1
Goals Shorthanded: 0
Penalties: 4.5
Empty Net Goals: 0.4
Penalty Minutes: 14.2
Blocks: 14.1
Faceoff Wins : 21.1
Hits: 15.8
Giveaways: 15.2
Takeaways: 3.8

Last 10 Games on the Road

Goals Powerplay: 0.9
Shots: 27.7
Goals Shorthanded: 0.1
Penalties: 6.8
Empty Net Goals: 0.3
Penalty Minutes: 21.5
Blocks: 12.6
Faceoff Wins : 21.6
Hits: 17.5
Giveaways: 14.7
Takeaways: 4.3

Team Stats - Avg/Game

Last 10 Games

Goals Powerplay: 0.5
Shots: 30
Goals Shorthanded: 0
Penalties: 3.1
Empty Net Goals: 0
Penalty Minutes: 6.8
Blocks: 12.2
Faceoff Wins : 23.2
Hits: 22.4
Giveaways: 15.6
Takeaways: 4.4

Last 10 Home Games

Goals Powerplay: 0.3
Shots: 31
Goals Shorthanded: 0.1
Penalties: 3.3
Empty Net Goals: 0.2
Penalty Minutes: 7.2
Blocks: 12.2
Faceoff Wins : 23.2
Hits: 24.4
Giveaways: 16.7
Takeaways: 5

Live Streaming

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Team News

Tampa Bay Lightning Player Stats & Roster

#	Player	GP	MIN	G	A	P	+/-
86	Nikita Kucherov	45	20.24	25	49	74	24
59	Jake Guentzel	49	20.47	22	29	51	12
38	Brandon Hagel	44	19.38	25	22	47	27

43	Darren Raddysh	43	22.17	12	30	42	20
71	Anthony Cirelli	45	17.73	13	18	31	28
21	Brayden Point	37	18.04	11	19	30	5
22	Oliver Bjorkstrand	49	14.05	7	16	23	-7
37	Yanni Gourde	49	16.32	6	12	18	6
51	Charles-Edouard D'Astous	42	19.44	3	14	17	2
93	Gage Goncalves	45	12.36	6	10	16	17
90	Janis Jerome Moser	47	22.07	5	11	16	38
29	Pontus Holmberg	42	13.27	8	7	15	10
77	Victor Hedman	18	21.09	0	12	12	0
20	Nick Paul	30	14.58	5	6	11	-8
28	Zemgus Girgensons	42	14.91	6	5	11	2
17	Dominic James	34	11.9	4	7	11	0
24	Maxwell Crozier	31	15.86	1	9	10	8
27	Ryan McDonagh	18	20.01	4	4	8	1
78	Emil Lilleberg	32	17.34	2	4	6	9
81	Erik Cernak	30	19.02	0	5	5	2
67	Declan Carlile	28	14.07	1	2	3	2
62	Jack Finley	18	8.52	2	1	3	2
	Scott Sabourin	9	8.2	1	2	3	0
	Curtis Douglas	27	5.97	0	2	2	1
64	Steven Santini	9	11.56	0	1	1	1
14	Conor Geekie	6	10.03	0	1	1	0
52	Maxim Groshev	1	13.1	0	1	1	1
33	Brandon Halverson	1	0.1	0	0	0	0
41	Mitchell Chaffee	7	9.49	0	0	0	0
61	Boris Katchouk	3	12.2	0	0	0	0
12	Jakob Pelletier	1	6.2	0	0	0	0

#	Goalies	GP	GAA	SV%
88	Andrei Vasilevskiy	32	2.1	0.917
31	Jonas Johansson	18	2.73	0.896

Columbus Blue Jackets Player Stats & Roster

#	Player	GP	MIN	G	A	P	+/-
8	Zach Werenski	46	26.65	19	34	53	4
86	Kirill Marchenko	46	18.85	18	23	41	3
3	Charlie Coyle	50	17.66	10	20	30	-5

10	Dmitri Voronkov	50	15.05	16	14	30	-3
19	Adam Fantilli	50	18.81	12	18	30	-13
38	Boone Jenner	36	16.95	8	17	25	0
23	Sean Monahan	46	17.92	7	16	23	0
5	Denton Mateychuk	44	20.34	8	13	21	5
17	Mason Marchment	37	17.25	9	11	20	0
4	Cole Sillinger	49	15.51	5	15	20	-1
78	Damon Severson	49	20.33	3	16	19	2
9	Ivan Provorov	50	25.73	5	13	18	9
91	Kent Johnson	49	13.86	5	11	16	-10
11	Miles Wood	32	13.23	8	4	12	-6
24	Mathieu Olivier	37	14.38	4	7	11	2
15	Dante Fabbro	48	16.11	3	4	7	-13
21	Isac Lundestroem	36	12.23	1	5	6	-4
16	Brendan Gaunce	25	11.9	2	4	6	-1
27	Zach Aston-Reese	26	9.61	1	4	5	-1
43	Danton Heinen	23	10.62	2	2	4	1
2	Jake Christiansen	30	10.43	0	2	2	-9
6	Yegor Zamula	20	14.32	0	2	2	4
	Brendan Smith	15	11.08	0	2	2	-1
65	Luca Del Bel Belluz	13	8.78	0	1	1	-2
44	Erik Gudbranson	8	17.19	0	1	1	-3
82	Mikael Pyyhtiae	5	10.26	1	0	1	-1
37	Dysin Mayo	3	8.4	0	1	1	1
	Luca Pinelli	3	13.77	0	0	0	-1

#	Goalies	GP	GAA	SV%
90	Elvis Merzlikins	18	3.81	0.882
73	Jet Greaves	34	2.62	0.91

Injuries & Suspensions

Tampa Bay Lightning Injury Table

Type

Name

Info

Emil Lilleberg

Injured

Victor Hedman

Injured

Ryan McDonagh

Injured

Scott Sabourin

Injured

Brayden Point

Injured

Anthony Cirelli

Injured

Columbus Blue Jackets Injury Table

Type

Name

Info

Dante Fabbro

Injured

Miles Wood

Injured

Brendan Smith

Injured

Denton Mateychuk

Injured

Starting Lineups

Both teams’ confirmed lineups will be published ahead of face-off. There is also the chance to look at the lineups from the previous 10 games.

Previous Tampa Bay Lightning Lineups

23 Jan NHL

Lightning 2-1 Blackhawks

Metropolitan	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	P%	RW	ROW	GF	GA	DIFF	Home	Road	S/O	L10	Strk
1 Carolina	51	31	15	5	67	0.657	22	27	176	149	27	18-8-2	13-7-3	4-3	7-3	1L
2 Pittsburgh	50	25	14	11	61	0.61	21	24	166	150	16	11-7-7	14-7-4	1-7	6-4	3W
3 NY Islanders	50	27	18	5	59	0.59	18	23	146	141	5	14-8-2	13-10-3	4-5	5-5	1L
4 Philadelphia	50	24	17	9	57	0.57	17	19	154	158	-4	12-8-5	12-9-4	5-3	3-7	1W
5 New Jersey	51	27	22	2	56	0.549	18	24	136	155	-19	12-9-2	15-13-0	3-0	5-5	3W
6 Washington	52	25	21	6	56	0.538	22	25	165	153	12	14-10-3	11-11-3	0-5	4-6	1W
7 Columbus	50	23	20	7	53	0.53	14	18	150	164	-14	12-8-4	11-12-3	5-1	5-5	1W
8 NY Rangers	52	21	25	6	48	0.462	14	19	139	162	-23	5-13-4	16-12-2	2-0	2-8	3L

East Atlantic	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	P%	RW	ROW	GF	GA	DIFF	Home	Road	S/O	L10	Strk
1 Tampa Bay	49	32	13	4	68	0.694	25	29	172	122	50	13-9-0	19-4-4	3-2	9-1	3W
2 Detroit	52	31	16	5	67	0.644	21	29	162	158	4	18-8-1	13-8-4	2-2	7-3	1L
3 Montreal	51	28	16	7	63	0.618	18	26	174	171	3	14-11-1	14-5-6	2-4	6-4	1L
4 Buffalo	50	28	17	5	61	0.61	22	25	167	155	12	16-6-3	12-11-2	3-0	7-3	2W
5 Boston	51	29	20	2	60	0.588	22	27	170	159	11	18-8-1	11-12-1	2-1	8-2	1W
6 Toronto	51	24	18	9	57	0.559	17	24	169	172	-3	16-7-6	8-11-3	0-1	5-5	3L
7 Florida	49	26	20	3	55	0.561	22	23	148	161	-13	14-10-3	12-10-0	3-1	5-5	1W
8 Ottawa	50	23	20	7	53	0.53	18	20	166	169	-3	11-9-4	12-11-3	3-0	3-7	1L

East Central	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	P%	RW	ROW	GF	GA	DIFF	Home	Road	S/O	L10	Strk
1 Colorado	49	34	6	9	77	0.786	31	33	194	121	73	20-2-4	14-4-5	1-5	4-6	2L
2 Dallas	52	29	14	9	67	0.644	25	26	172	144	28	14-7-3	15-7-6	3-3	4-6	1W
3 Minnesota	52	29	14	9	67	0.644	19	26	168	150	18	14-6-6	15-8-3	3-3	4-6	1W
4 Utah	50	26	20	4	56	0.56	19	26	158	139	19	15-7-2	11-13-2	0-0	8-2	4W
5 Nashville	50	24	22	4	52	0.52	17	21	146	169	-23	14-11-2	10-11-2	3-0	6-4	1W
6 Chicago	51	21	22	8	50	0.49	16	18	140	159	-19	11-12-5	10-10-3	3-4	5-5	1L
7 Winnipeg	50	20	23	7	47	0.47	18	19	148	153	-5	12-9-5	8-14-2	1-2	5-5	1L
8 St Louis	51	19	24	8	46	0.451	18	18	123	174	-51	12-9-5	7-15-3	1-2	4-6	3L

West Pacific	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	P%	RW	ROW	GF	GA	DIFF	Home	Road	S/O	L10	Strk
1 Vegas	50	25	13	12	62	0.62	18	24	170	154	16	12-7-6	13-6-6	1-5	8-2	1W
2 Edmonton	52	25	19	8	58	0.558	20	25	173	166	7	12-8-4	13-11-4	0-3	5-5	2L
3 Anaheim	51	27	21	3	57	0.559	16	21	169	178	-9	15-8-1	12-13-2	6-0	6-4	6W
4 San Jose	50	26	21	3	55	0.55	15	24	156	174	-18	14-9-3	12-12-0	2-1	6-4	1W
5 LA Kings	49	20	16	13	53	0.541	13	17	129	139	-10	8-10-7	12-6-6	3-6	4-6	1W
6 Seattle	50	22	19	9	53	0.53	16	21	139	152	-13	11-9-5	11-10-4	1-4	3-7	1L
7 Calgary	51	21	25	5	47	0.461	17	19	129	152	-23	13-9-3	8-16-2	2-2	3-7	3L
8 Vancouver	51	17	29	5	39	0.382	11	13	137	188	-51	5-15-3	12-14-2	4-1	1-9	1L

Tampa Bay Lightning

Columbus Blue Jackets

NHL Betting Preview: Lightning vs Blue Jackets

Head-to-Head Statistics

Starting Goalies

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction & Picks

Game Prediction

Lightning Moneyline Probability

Same Game Parlay Picks

Correct Score Prediction

Latest Correct Score Odds

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets Odds

Player Goals

Player Assists

Player Shots

Head to Head

Injuries & Suspensions

Tampa Bay Lightning Injury Table

Columbus Blue Jackets Injury Table

Starting Lineups

Previous Tampa Bay Lightning Lineups

Previous Columbus Blue Jackets Lineups

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