Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets Forecast, 10/18/2025 NHL Selections, Top Bets & Odds

• Matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets
• Date: Saturday, October 18, 2025
• Venue: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
• Broadcast: Fanduel Sports Network
• Betting Odds: Lightning (-145) Blue Jackets (+125)

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This matchup will unfold at Nationwide Arena as the Columbus Blue Jackets (1-3-0) seek to overpower the Tampa Bay Lightning (1-2-1) this Saturday. Currently, the Lightning hold odds at -145 while Columbus stands at +125, with an over/under line set at 6.5.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are aiming for a bounce-back victory following their narrow 3-2 defeat to the Capitals in their previous game. In that contest, the Lightning struggled offensively, managing to score only 2 goals from their 19 attempts, and they converted 1 out of 2 power play opportunities. The team accumulated a total of 10 penalty minutes during the match.

This season, the Tampa Bay Lightning have recorded 13 goals, ranking them 20th in the NHL, while allowing 16 goals against. Currently, they hold 3 points, yielding a points percentage of .375. They have had 10 chances with the power play, netting 3 goals, which translates to a 30% success rate. Even strength play has seen the Lightning concede 14 goals while scoring 10. With a total of 84 shots taken this season, their shooting percentage stands at 15.5%. Conversely, Tampa Bay’s opponents have taken 126 shots with a save percentage of .873; the Lightning’s foes have garnered 16 power play opportunities (14th in the league) and scored 2 goals from those chances.

Tending the goal for the Lightning will be Andrei Vasilevskiy. Throughout his career, Vasilevskiy has had 1,347 goals scored against him, averaging 2.53 goals per game over his tenure. With 543 games played, he boasts a save percentage of .917 across 28,627 minutes in the net. His career record stands at 331 wins, 165 losses, and 36 overtime losses, with 533 starts. He has achieved 306 quality starts, showcasing a percentage of .574, and faces an average of 16,199 shots, successfully saving 14,852 attempts.

In their last fixture, the Columbus Blue Jackets met the Avalanche, where they suffered a 4-1 defeat, securing just 1 goal from 23 shots and failing to convert on 2 power play opportunities.

This season, the Blue Jackets have netted 11 goals, earning 2 points and a points percentage of .250. They have conceded a total of 13 goals, with 6 coming at even strength and 7 occurring during disadvantageous situations. They’ve scored 10 goals while even-handed and just 1 on the power play (ranking 32nd in the league). With 11 power play opportunities, their success rate is at 9.09%. Columbus has taken 127 shots (16th overall) with a shooting percentage of 8.66%, allowing 148 shots against, leading to a penalty kill rate of 53.33% on 15 power plays, and their current save percentage sits at 91.2%.

On the opposite end, Jet Greaves will be guarding the goal. He boasts a respectable 716 saves from 774 shots, resulting in a .925 save percentage. Greaves holds a career record of 10-11-2 across 23 games, having started 22 contests and played for 1,118 minutes. His quality start rate is notable at 72.7%, with 16 quality starts throughout his NHL journey. On average, he has conceded 2.64 goals per game, having allowed 58 goals overall.

Which team will emerge victorious tonight in this thrilling NHL matchup?

Prediction: Go with Tampa Bay (-145)