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Blue Jackets Now Favored to Win Series vs Lightning With 2-0 Lead, Lightning Listed at +130 Odds

David Golokhov

by David Golokhov in NHL Hockey

Updated Apr 6, 2020 · 6:21 AM PDT

Nikita Kucherov
Nikita Kucherov has been suspended for Game 3 of the Blue Jackets vs Lightning series. Photo from @TheAthleticTB (Twitter)
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning lost consecutive games just twice in the regular season
  • The Lightning have been outscored 9-1 since the end of the first period in Game 1
  • The Blue Jackets were just 22-17-2 at home this season

Only one team in the history of the NHL won more games than the 62 that the Tampa Bay Lightning had this season, but they have looked completely lost in their first-round playoff series with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Lightning are trailing 0-2 and have gone from a sure-fire favorite to a sizable underdog. Is there value with them now that they’ve dug a hole?

Blue Jackets vs Lightning Series Odds

Team Odds
Tampa Bay Lightning +130
Columbus Blue Jackets -150

*Odds taken April 13

Lightning Have Been Suffocated

What’s happened to the Lightning through two games has been downright shocking. They had lost consecutive games just twice all season, but have started the playoffs with back-to-back losses.

The team that led the NHL with 3.89 goals per game has scored a total of four in two contests.

At the other end of the ice, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was one of the best in the NHL this season, has allowed nine goals on 53 shots.

Literally nothing has gone right for Tampa Bay, which is a concern.

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Had they lost a game in overtime and lost a game by a fluky bounce, there would be less trepidation. However, they’ve been severely outclassed in five of the six periods played so far.

That has to give you pause if you plan to bet them.

Kucherov Suspension

One of the reasons why the betting line for Game 3 (and the series price) was delayed is that the league was reviewing a dirty hit by Nikita Kucherov in Game 2.

Kucherov, who led the NHL with 128 points this season, had a fairly cheap hit on Blue Jackets defenseman Markus Nutivaara at the end of the game, and it has cost him one game.

While the hit wasn’t as dirty as Toronto’s Nazem Kadri’s in the first round of the 2018 NHL playoffs, which earned a suspension, this one will sideline Kucherov for Game 3.

The Lightning had their backs up against the wall already; it’s going to be much harder now that their leading scorer is out.

Blue Jackets Blew a 2-0 Series Lead Last Season

One glimmer of hope for the Lightning is that the Blue Jackets held a 2-0 series lead on the Washington Capitals in the first-round of the playoffs last year, too.

The Blue Jackets ended up losing in six games and Washington ended up winning the Stanley Cup.

The difference there was that Columbus won the first two games in overtime, so the margins were much closer. Tampa Bay has been outscored 9-1 since the end of the first period in Game 1 and hasn’t really been competitive.

Bet The Lightning

This seems like a decent opportunity to place a small bet on the Lightning. And I’d place a small bet to win the series and win the Eastern Conference.

Tampa Bay hasn’t shown up yet and they’ll be without Kucherov for Game 3. However, going on the road and losing their top scorer could shake them up in a good way.

Remember that Columbus was a better road team (25-14-2) than home team (22-17-2), so they know it’s not the toughest place to play.

Sergei Bobrovsky had a 2.73 GAA at home, which isn’t great. Also, Tampa Bay was 30-9-2 in away games.

I see Tampa Bay getting things in order for Game 3 and getting back in this series. They can’t play much worse and Columbus can’t play much better, so I’m expecting a deviation back to the norm.

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