by Ben Perks
The Nashville Predators face the Carolina Hurricanes on the road this Friday. Vegas oddsmakers have the Predators as +145 underdogs on the moneyline and Carolina as -170 favorites. The Hurricanes are looking to get their sixth home win in a row. However, Nashville has a decent chance of ending this winning streak. Get pre-game insights and odds for this NHL clash.
Latest Betting Lines for Predators @ Hurricanes
| Spread | Win | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/27/21 @ 20:00 | Nashville Predators | +1.15 (-165) | +145 | O 5.5 (-130) | 2/19/22 @ 19:00 (PST) | Carolina Hurricanes | -1.5 (+140) | -170 | U 5.5 (+110) |
Predators vs. Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are hoping to bounce back after losing 3-2 to the Florida Panthers. Because of their solid home record and the fact that they’ve won their last five games against the Predators, NHL betting sites favor them to get back to winning ways this Friday. If you’re considering placing some action on this game, keep in mind that the Hurricanes have only covered the puck line twice with three one-goal wins in the previous five meetings.
Therefore, the Hurricanes need Sebastian Aho to bring his A-game. The Finn currently leads the team with 25 points in his last 20 games, and Evgeni Svechnikov is also averaging more than one point per game. Bovada has Nino Niederreiter at +1100 to score first against the Predators. Considering Niederreiter has managed to score ten times at the PNC Arena, this is a tempting prop bet.
As for the Preds, they have only scored six goals in their last three. Nashville’s offensive game relies heavily on Filip Forsberg, Matt Duchene, and Mikael Granlund – but they’ve gone missing of late. Yet, they have had a strong season and could just be experiencing a mini-slump. Captain and defenseman Roman Josi is the team’s leading scorer with 13. Although his goals are much-needed, a defenseman being the top scorer is hardly a good sign.
Nevertheless, because Nashville’s goaltender Juuse Saros has a record of 24-14-3, a .924 Save Percentage, and sits in fourth for Goals Saved Above Expected (+18.0), oddsmakers expect this game to be close.
Predators Experiencing Dip in Form
Despite a strong start to the season, the Predators have struggled this month. In January, they were 24-12-3 second in the Central Division, but they have since gone 4-5-1 in their last ten games to fall to fourth place. This slump has led Vegas oddsmakers to price them at +2200 to win the Stanley Cup.
Although the Predators seem safe in a wildcard spot, they only have a six-point cushion over the Dallas Stars and five over the Anaheim Ducks. Nashville has allowed 12 goals and only scored six during their three-game losing streak. Therefore, with only 33 games to go, Nashville must secure some victories to make the postseason.
Carolina’s Stanley Cup Odds Lengthen
In January, the Carolina Hurricanes were at +800 to win the Stanley Cup, but their recent wobbles have led bookmakers to change their odds to +1200. However, Carolina has been one of the best teams in the league this season and currently occupies second in the Metropolitan Division with a 32-11-4 record. For these reasons, many bettors will consider them decent futures betting value to lift the trophy in the summer.
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Result | Moneyline | Puckline | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/16/2021 | Hurricanes 3 Predators 2 | CAR | NSH | Under |
| 5/27/2021 | Hurricanes 4 Predators 3 (OT) | CAR | NSH | Over |
| 5/25/2021 | Hurricanes 3 Predators 2 (OT) | CAR | NSH | Under |
| 5/23/2021 | Predators 4 Hurricanes 3 (OT) | NSH | NSH | Over |
| 5/21/2021 | Predators 5 Hurricanes 4 (OT) | NSH | NSH | Over |
View the latest odds for all upcoming NHL games.
Ben is a sports journalist & part-time trader with a passion for finding +EV bets. Ben lives in Madrid, Spain where he enjoys the live poker scene, and sunshine where he covers UFC, MLB, NHL, NBA, as well as tennis betting.
