The Vegas Golden Knights have stumbled out of the top-three picture in the Pacific Division after suffering a throng of defeats, but it’s not too late for them to right the ship. They can begin this Thursday night in a home game against the visiting Nashville Predators for the third meeting this season between these teams. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NHL odds series, which includes our Predators-Golden Knights prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.

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Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Predators-Golden Knights odds:

NHL odds: Predators-Golden Knights Odds

Predators: -1.5 (+210)

Golden Knights: +1.5 (-265)

Over: 6.0 (-110)

Under: 6.0 (-110)

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Why the Predators Could Cover the Spread 

The Predators became the preys last Tuesday, as they got manhandled by the Los Angeles Kings in a 6-1 loss in Hollywood. The Preds simply started out flat and didn’t have the energy they showed up with in the previous two contests. Before the loss to Los Angeles, Nashville scored a total of 12 goals against only six scores allowed in wins against the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Anaheim Ducks. The Predators actually have been the most prolific in the NHL since the start of March. In 11 games this month, they have averaged 4.36 goals per contest. In four of those games, Nashville loaded up at least six goals, including the 8-0 walloping of the San Jose Sharks on the road.

It’s not difficult to imagine the Predators’ offense exploding anew this Thursday night against a Vegas team that appears to have forgotten how hockey works. The Golden Knights have scored zero goals and allowed seven combined over their last two games. Vegas could end up looking like a sparring bag for the Predators, who entered the Kings game as the leaders in the NHL in 5-on-5 High-Danger Scoring Chance Conversion rate (14.6%), which fits in nicely – for Nashville – with the fact that the Golden Knights have allowed over 60 High-Danger goals. Predators goalie Juuse Sarros will look to tame Vegas again. He had a heroic 41-save performance in Nashville’s 3-2 road win against the Golden Knights in January. Sarros is also third among goalies this season with 23.2 Goals Saved Above Expected among goalies with at least 25 starts. Only Igor Shesterkin and Frederik Andersen have higher marks than the 26-year-old Sarros.

Why the Golden Knights Could Cover the Spread

The Golden Knights are on a tailspin again. Just when it looked like they finally solved and turned things around by winning back-to-back games over the Florida Panthers and the Kings after a five-game winless streak, they are back to their losing ways, having lost both of their last two outings. In their most recent game, the Golden Knights absorbed a 4-0 road loss to the Winnipeg Jets Tuesday. That came after they got thumped by the Minnesota Wild in a 3-0 defeat, also on the road. What hope is there for Vegas that it can take care of business tonight against the still-hot Predators?

Despite the losses, the Golden Knights are still pretty good at controlling the puck. They entered the Wild game with just a 2-6-0 record in the previous eight games but carried a 52.5 CF% in those contests. They simply need to improve on capitalizing on the chances they give themselves. Against the Jets, Vegas outshot Winnipeg, 42-26. The Golden Knights even outshot Nashville in each of the two meetings the two have had this season, so far. In their 5-2 November win versus the Preds, the Golden Knights shot 35 times to just 28 by their opponents. The Golden Knights are too talented to be silent on the offensive side of the rink for the third game in a row. Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson will have to step up.

Final Predators-Golden Knights Prediction & Pick

The Predators should be able to turn it on once again in this game, as Vegas is so banged up. The Golden Knights have the likes of Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone, and Reilly Smith on the injured reserve, and that’s going to mean easier work for Nashville’s blueliners and for Sarros. Taking the Predators to win against the puck line.

Final Predators-Golden Knights Pick: Predators -1.5 (+210)