Brandon Hagel scored twice and added an assist in Tampa Bay’s win over Buffalo. If you’re backing the Lightning in Columbus, start with how often he picked up a point in Tampa Bay wins. For Kent Johnson, look at the other side of that result: how often did he go without an assist in Columbus losses?
Player props to compare for a Lightning win
| Player & prop | Odds | With this result | All games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Hagel Over 0.5 points |
−170 | 83.3% 10 of 12 Tampa Bay wins |
66.7% 12 of 18 appearances |
| Kent Johnson Under 0.5 assists |
−175 | 85.1% 40 of 47 Columbus losses |
77.2% 71 of 92 appearances |
Brandon Hagel: Over 0.5 points
DraftKings priced Hagel’s point over at −170 and over 2.5 shots at −165. Both hit in the same 10 Tampa Bay wins this season, but the shots over hit in 14 of 18 appearances overall compared with 12 for the point. The shots over paid slightly more at those prices. In a loss to Utah he put seven shots on net without a point. Against Colorado he had two shots and an assist.
Hagel went without a point in wins over Detroit and Minnesota, so the Tampa Bay result alone doesn’t get him there. He skated with Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov on Wednesday, and the team lists that group as subject to change. If you expect him to stay involved in the scoring, the point line can land even on a quieter shooting night.
Kent Johnson: Under 0.5 assists
Johnson went without an assist in 40 of 47 Columbus losses across last season and this one. This season alone, it’s seven of nine. The two misses came against Dallas and Buffalo, and he added another assist in a win over Dallas. At −175, a single setup wipes out the under. He’s had three in those recent games alone.
Johnson was projected with Matthew Knies and Sean Monahan for Columbus’s last game and is in that group again in the matchup brief. The under is a way to follow a game where he creates less for his linemates. If you expect that group to drive Columbus’s offense, the older loss split gives you less reason to take the under.
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Which route fits a Tampa Bay win?
Hagel’s point is the more direct fit if you expect Tampa Bay’s scoring to run through his line. His shots are an alternative if you see him getting pucks on net without necessarily getting on the scoresheet. Johnson’s under fits if you expect Columbus to get less from him as a playmaker. The table gives each prop’s individual price and record.
See the live Lightning–Blue Jackets matchup for lineups and game odds, or browse more NHL articles.
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