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The Nashville Predators look for a second straight win as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Penguins-Predators prediction and pick.
The Penguins come into the game at 14-14-5 on the year. That places them in fourth place in the Metropolitan division. They have won three of their last five games and in their last game, faced the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings took the early lead scoring just 33 seconds into the game. Evgeni Malkin, amidst trade rumors, tied the game in the second. The Kings would take the lead once again, but once again the Penguins tied the game. This led to overtime, where Rickard Rackell won the game for the Penguins.
Meanwhile, the Predators are 9-17-6 this year, sitting in last in the Central Division. While the Predators have struggled this year, the Predators are coming off a win in their last games. They faced the New York Rangers and Jonathan Marchessault opened the scoring in the first period. The Predators would add a goal in the third while Juuse Saros stopped all 25 shots he faced in the win.
Here are the Penguins-Predators NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Penguins-Predators Odds
Pittsburgh Penguins: +1.5 (-210)
Moneyline: +122
Nashville Predators: -1.5 (+164)
Moneyline: -146
Over: 5.5 (-138)
Under: 5.5 (+112)
How To Watch Penguins vs Predators
Time: 8:00 PM ET/ 5:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Penguins Could Cover the Spread/Win
Sidney Crosby leads the team from the top line and is joined by Richard Rakell and Bryan Rust. Crosby leads the team in points again this year while also leading the team in assists. He has eight goals and 23 assists this year, with three goals and five assists on the power play. Rakell leads the team in goals this year. He comes in with 14 goals and 10 assists on the year, with three goals and three assists on the power play. Rust comes in with 12 goals and nine assists this year, sitting fourth on the team in points.
Meanwhile, Evgeni Malkin sits second on the team in points, while playing from the second line. He has seven goals and 19 assists this year, with a goal and six assists on the power play. Further, the blue line has been productive for the Penguins. Erik Karlsson is fifth on the team in points, with two goals and 18 assists. Kris Letang adds seven goals and eight assists this year.
Tristan Jarry is expected to return to the goal for the Penguins in this one. He is 6-4-2 on the year with a 3.59 goals-against average and a .885 save percentage. Jarry was solid in his last start, stopping 28 of 31 shots. It was the fourth time in five games he has been above .900 in save percentage, but he has gone just 3-1-1 in those five games.
Why the Predators Could Cover the Spread/Win
The leading point scorer for the Predators is Roman Josi, coming from the blue line. He comes in with seven goals and 16 assists, good for a team-leading 23 points. Further, he has a goal and nine assists on the power play. He did miss the last game but is expected to play in this one. Meanwhile, Filip Forsberg is second on the team in points, playing on the first line. He comes into the game with nine goals and 13 assists on the year. Jonathan Marchessault joins him on the line. Marchessault is third on the team in points, with eight goals and 11 assists this year. The line is rounded out by Steven Stamkos, who has eight goals and ten assists this year, with six goals and four assists on the power play this year.
The second line is led by Ryan O'Reilly. O'Reilly is fifth on the team in points this year, having seven goals and ten assists this year. He has scored three times and added two assists on the power play. Meanwhile, Gustav Nyquist comes in with six goals and five assists, while Luke Evangelista comes in with three goals and nine assists.
Juuse Saros is expected to be in goal for the Predators. Saros is 7-14-5 on the year with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage. He was great in his last game, taking his third shutout of the victory over the Rangers. It was the third time in four games he has been above .900 in save percentage.
Final Penguins-Predators Prediction & Pick
The Predators come in as favorites in terms of odds in this NHL game, but they have not won back-to-back games since they won three straight at the end of October to improve to 3-5-0 on the year. Still, they have been playing better as of late, scoring more than their low season average. Further, they have the better goaltender in this one.
Final Penguins-Predators Prediction & Pick: Predators ML (-146)
