Round One of Stanley Cup Playoffs is underway for the NHL’s 16 contending teams. The Nashville Predators find themselves facing a tough first opponent in the Carolina Hurricanes, the No. 1 team in the Central division.
The Predators are 0-2 through the first two games, but the team heads home to Nashville for Game 3, which may be just what is needed to turn things around.
Nashville Predators vs. Carolina Hurricanes
The Predators lost their first two matchups against the Hurricanes earlier this week and head to Nashville on Friday for Game 3.
Sportsbooks predict another loss for Nashville, though the team has been known to pull out surprising wins against Carolina in the past.
Although the Preds are facing an uphill battle, the team still has time to turn the tide in its favor.
Predators’ players and Head Coach John Hynes noted improvements from the first game to the second, though it was still not enough for them to pull away with a win.
“We’ve got to do a better job on the power play but, I think the last two questions…we’re in a series, we’re a better team than we were the first night, we obviously know the power play has got to be better, but I think there’s a lot of positives going out of this game and then coming home.”
The two teams now travel to Nashville’s own Bridgestone Arena for Game 3 and Game 4, where the Preds hope to generate enough energy from their hometown crowd to break the ice and clinch a much-needed win.
Predators Center Ryan Johansen is eager to face its rival in home territory.
As COVID-19 restrictions have eased, more and more fans are making their way back to Smashville to catch the action in person. Now that Nashville has entered the Playoffs, the arena expects to host the season’s largest crowd yet.
Johansen said,
“I’m excited to just get back to Bridgestone and get in front of our fans. We know what our crowd can do to our club and the energy it can bring to us, so we are just excited to get home and play in front of our fans.”
Preds look to improve odds at Bridgestone Arena
DraftKings Tennessee Sportsbook became the Preds’ official sports betting partner back in December.
So naturally, it was the first sportsbook to release lines on the upcoming game. Although no promos have been added for this particular matchup, DraftKings offers more wagering variety than any other Tennessee operator. The sportsbook situates Nashville as a 1.5-point underdog, with the over/under of total goals set at 5.5.
And with a moneyline of +138, bettors expecting the Preds to capitalize on their hometown advantage can find reasonable value here.
Additional markets for betting on the Nashville Predators include:
- Player props
- Game props
- 60 minute props
- Team totals
- Correct score
So even if you are unsure which team will win tonight’s game, there are plenty of other ways to get in on the action.
Nashville Predators Stanley Cup odds
After a whirlwind season, the Preds are currently ranked fourth in the league’s reimagined Central Division.
While the 56-game regular season schedule remained intact, Central Division teams increased from seven to eight, shaking up the entire playing field and adding additional challenges to Nashville’s schedule.
Coming into the regular season, DraftKings gave Nashville +2800 odds of winning the Stanley Cup. Now, those odds have grown significantly longer. Of the 16 teams competing for the trophy, the Preds have the 15th-best odds of securing the title.
The St. Louis Blues, who are ranked fourth in the West, are the only team behind them in those odds.
