In their final head-to-head matchup of the regular season, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Nashville Predators take the ice at Bridgestone Arena in an East-West showdown. Fox Sports Tennesse will showcase the matchup, and the action gets going at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 21.
Carolina Hurricanes at Nashville Predators Odds
With a -175 moneyline, Nashville heads into the matchup as the substantial favorite. The line for Carolina sits at +155 and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals. The line for betting the total stands at -115 money on the over and -105 for the under.
Earning 7.3 units for moneyline bettors, Nashville is 21-12 straight up (SU) overall this year. That winning percentage, ranked third in the NHL so far this season, is a solid improvement compared to what the team managed during last year’s regular season (41-41). Through 33 regular season contests, 18 of the team’s games have gone over the total, while 15 have gone under and none have pushed. The team’s 11-5 SU at home this year.
The Predators enter the matchup with the second-best power-play unit in the NHL, as the team has converted on 26.6 percent of their extra-man chances this season. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked fifth overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 83.6 percent of all penalties.
The Predators, as a collective unit, have been penalized 5.5 times per game overall this season, and 4.8 per game over their last five at home. The team’s had to defend opposition power plays for a whopping 13.9 minutes per game over their last 10 outings, in total.
Averaging 30.3 saves per game with a .927 save percentage, Pekka Rinne (18-8-3) has been the top option in goal for the Preds this season. If the Preds, however, decide to rest him, Nashville might go with Juuse Saros (3-4-4 record, .911 save percentage, 2.95 goals against average).
Filip Forsberg and Kyle Turris will each be focal points for the Predators. Forsberg (33 points) is up to 15 goals and 18 assists and has recorded two or more points eight times this year. Turris has seven goals and 19 assists to his name and has recorded at least one point in 17 games.
Carolina is 14-19 straight up (SU) and has lost 6.9 units for moneyline bettors thus far. A total of 16 of its outings have gone over the total, while 15 have gone under and just two have pushed. The Hurricanes are 7-12 SU as the road team this season.
The Hurricanes have converted on just 14.2 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that places them in the bottom- overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 30th overall and it’s successfully defended 75.6 percent of all opponent power plays.
Carolina’s skaters have been penalized only 2.8 times per game this season, and 3.6 per game over their last ten match ups. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 7.4 minutes per game over their last five outings.
Scott Darling (24.5 saves per game) has been the main option in the net for Carolina. Darling has eight wins, 16 losses, and six OT losses to his credit, and has registered a .896 save percentage and 2.87 goals against average this year.
Teuvo Teravainen (eight goals, 17 assists) has been one of the primary facilitators on offense for the visiting Hurricanes.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Nashville Predators Free Picks
Predictions: SU Winner – Predators, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Trends
Over Nashville’s last ten outings, seven of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 5-2 in those games).
Power plays and penalty kills could play a critical role in tonight’s game. The Hurricanes are 8-10 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 11-16 when they’re in the box for fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Predators are 7-1 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 9-3 in games where their penalty minutes are in the single digits.
Two of Nashville’s last ten games have gone to a shootout. The team is 1-1 in those games and 3-3 overall in shootouts this season.
Nashville might hold the upper hand if this one comes down to the wire. The team’s 8-5 in games decided by one goal, while Carolina is 7-12 in such games.
The total has gone over in three of Nashville’s last five games.
Nashville skaters have averaged 14.0 giveaways over its last five home games, a rise over its season average of 9.8 giveaways per game (ranked 16th in the league).
Carolina has averaged 8.8 giveaways over its last five home games, an improvement from its season average of 10.1 giveaways per game (ranked 21st).
