An intriguing showdown on the ice to kick off the weekend will be underway as the Nashville Predators head to the Lone Star State to take on the Dallas Stars. Join us for our NHL odds series where our Predators-Stars prediction and pick will be revealed.
Despite losing four of their last six games, it has been Nashville that is attempting to turn things around in a positive direction with two wins in their last three contests. Overall, the ‘Preds are 21-17-1 through 39 games and have a total of 43 points on the season.
On the other side of things, the Stars were unable to hold off an epic come-from-behind victor by the Colorado Avalanche and eventually lost in disheartening fashion in overtime by a score of 5-4. Although Dallas still sits in pretty healthy shape at 22-10-5, their back-to-back losses have surely left a bad taste in their mouths. Nevertheless, can the Stars get back on the winning track starting on Saturday night?
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Predators-Stars Odds
Nashville Predators: +1.5 (-176)
Moneyline: +140
Dallas Stars: -1.5 (+146)
Moneyline: -170
Over: 6.5 (+106)
Under: 6.5 (-130)
How to Watch Predators vs. Stars
Time: 8:10 ET/5:10 PT
TV: ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Predators Will Cover The Spread/Win
Yes, the Predators have struggled mostly when it comes to finding creative ways to find the back of the net, but they at least have more than a few names that can be extremely difficult to stop on a nightly basis.
For starters, the team's points leader in left-winger Filip Forsberg is one name that could turn this game on its head in the blink of an eye. If Dallas isn't careful, then it will be Forsberg who can make some noise on the ice for Nashville. Indeed, the 29-year-old native from Sweden has recorded at least one point in three of his last four contests and ranks 15th overall in all of hockey with 43 points. If all else fails for Nashville, then it will be an absolute no-brainer for Nashville to turn to the star power of Filip Forsberg.
In addition, don't put it past goaltender Juuse Saros who has already showcased to the rest of the league that he has what it takes to be quite the respectable netminder. As it stands, Saros has recorded a pair of shutouts thus far and also has the fifth-best record while in net at 16-14-1. Above all else, Saros can put the team on his back as the ultimate equalizer en route to covering the spread in hostile territory.
Why The Stars Will Cover The Spread/Win
On the other side of things, the Stars have demonstrated how lethal they can be when hitting on all cylinders, but a rough, two-game stretch has pushed Dallas to an act of desperation that may be at full force Saturday evening.
In order to make a return to the win column, there will need to be a much better effort in regards to staying out of the penalty box. Even though it proved to be the Avalanche that only went 1-3 in the power play department, the Stars will be playing with fire if they continue to get sloppy. At the end of the day, being in the penalty box does Dallas no good in all aspects, and if they cannot play close to mistake-free as possible, then the Predators could make them pay.
Similarly to Nashville, the Stars and their top skaters will need to be on their A game. While it will be nice that the Dallas home crowd will be expected to be at a feverish pitch, the Stars still need to be focused on the task at hand. Without a doubt, this includes goalie Scott Wedgewood who has been thrusted into the starting lineup with injuries piling up to Jake Oettinger. At first glance, it has been Wedgewood who has found himself in a bit of a slump in allowing a whopping nine goals in his last two starts combined. Simply put, this is not gonna cut it against Nashville's top lines who are more than talented to inflict damage in the goal-scoring department. If Wedgewood can't show improvement, then securing a win may be tough to come by for Dallas.
Final Predators-Stars Prediction & Pick
Anything goes in the wild, wild, Western Conference. With this game expected to be played at a high-flying pace, don't be shocked if goals are at a premium! However, side with the Stars to make some clutch plays down the stretch that will ultimately put themselves over the top.
Final Predators-Stars Prediction & Pick: Stars -1.5 (+146)
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