Nashville Predators vs Florida Panthers Game Preview, Odds, Picks & Predictions

Predators Running Out of Steam

There are some teams that annually fall off a cliff following the All-Star break, and time this around, the Nashville Predators could be one of them. They’ve yet to win a game after the break at 0-4-0, having allowed twice as many goals as they’ve scored.

What’s troubling is that Juuse Saros was in net for all of these losses. The Vezina Trophy contender posted just an 88 percent save percentage, but Predator fans could attribute this to just a rough stretch for him. Saros’ career SV% is at 92.1 percent.

However, Saros leads the league in minutes played and has faced the most shots, so maybe he’s just tired. Nashville’s skaters are producing, but will have to get better on the defensive end or the time to bet online on the Preds may be ending.

Panthers on Path for Franchise Record

With 75 points in 50 games, the Florida Panthers are on track to finish with 123 points, or 20 more than their franchise record. This total would also be the third-highest in the league in 25 years. Only the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning and 2005-06 Detroit Red Wings had more.

The bad news is, these two teams did not win a series in the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, the Panthers have been a wrecking crew, playing with a chip on their shoulder. This team leads the NHL in goals per game, shots per game and dominate 5v5 metrics.

The amount of goals the #FlaPanthers have been scoring seemingly every night has overshadowed just how good Sergei Bobrovsky has been this season. https://t.co/cwIMamEOge

— George Richards (@GeorgeRichards) February 20, 2022

Notably, Sergei Bobrovsky is enjoying a renaissance, with his best stats since the 2017-18 season. The team is +15.8 units on the moneyline, and will continue to dominate the online sportsbook as long as they’re this potent.

Nashville Predators at Florida Panthers Head-to-Head

This is the first meeting this season. In their last ten games, the Florida Panthers are 7-2-1, with six victories coming in regulation. The Panthers have dominated the Predators, outshooting them by nearly 10 shots each game while also holding the edge on special teams.

Nashville Predators at Florida Panthers Prediction

One caveat in this matchup is Predators winning two of their last three visits to Florida. However, the Panthers are almost unbeatable at home this season, as in 23-3-0 with a 53-goal differential and a 4.7 goals-per-game average. Bobrovsky is also 16-1-0 at home with a 92.6 SV%.

The Predators are 14-9-4 on the road, though they’re on the plus side as an underdog with an 13-13 record. With Saros slipping, they could be in for a rough night. Even if improves his play, the Predators are badly outgunned here. Seven of these teams’ last eight games in Florida have gone under and we look for this trend to persist.

Pick: Florida Panthers (-200)

Pick: Under 6½ (-130)

Parlay: Florida Panthers (-200)/Under Goals 6½ (-130) at +165