The Nashville Predators are sitting on a two-game winning streak after taking down the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 in their last game.
Nashville is having quite a weird season. The Predators were on a seven-game winning streak and followed it with two straight losses. They bounced back with five wins in a row before losing their next four.
Then here we are at back-to-back wins. They’re tough to follow if you bet online. Will they keep it going or fall back into that losing stretch?
The Seattle Kraken aren’t a team to overlook despite their record. They were on an awful nine-game losing streak but have since won three of their last four. Their most recent was against a very tough Florida Panthers.
Let’s take a closer look at this contest for NHL game betting purposes and see what’s the best option in the sportsbook.
- Game: Nashville Predators (26-14-3) at Seattle Kraken (13-24-4)
- Location: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle
- Day/Time: Tuesday, 10 p.m. ET
- Television: ESPN
Nashville Predators vs. Seattle Kraken
Predators Balanced
Nashville has been middle of the road, ranking 10th in goals allowed and 13th in goals per game.
The main issue that has plagued the Predators is their physicality. They are first in the league in penalty minutes with 544. To put it into perspective, the next closest team is the Arizona Coyotes at 499.
While this could get them into trouble at times, it is also a reason why they are so good. Nobody intimidates them as they play rough against every team.
Nashville will win this game if its sticks to what it does best and play physical while supporting it with stellar defense.
Juuse Saros is 22-11-2 with a .925 save percentage in net for the Predators. He should be able to get the job done if given the green light to start.
Chemistry Not There for Kraken
As you could probably expect from a team that was just created during the offseason, the Seattle players aren’t used to competing together.
Chemistry hasn’t been easy to come by and it might take a little longer for the Kraken to start improving everywhere on the ice.
Their biggest problem has been goaltending. Three different guys have started at least three games and none of them have performed well.
Philipp Grubauer is 10-15-4 with a .884 save percentage, starting in the majority of games. Chris Driedger is 3-6-0 with a .896 save percentage. Joey Daccord is 0-3-0 and sitting at a .858.
These goaltenders are the reason they are 30th in the league in goals allowed per game. If these troubles continue, expect the Predators to get a lot of shots off on the net with their 13th-ranked offense.
Nashville Clear Favorites
It’s not surprising to see the Predators listed as the early favorites. They have performed better in every statistical category outside of penalty minutes and will be popular for NHL picks.
They are more experienced together and have less mistakes on the back end. Seattle has talent on its roster but just not enough time to really jell.
The Predators should take this game and the over might be the way to bet considering the Predators’ offensive talent and the Kraken’s inability to defend their own net.
