Just as the playoff race was heating up, the NHL suspended its 2019-2020 season in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the league did return on Aug. 1 with 12 teams from each conference invited to participate in a 24-team postseason tournament.
Sadly for the 6th-seed Nashville Predators, they were eliminated in the first round of the tournament by the 11th seed Arizona Coyotes, who won the best-of-five series in four games.
We don’t know exactly how hockey will look on its return in 2020-21, or the specific format, but one thing is for certain: the Preds will look to improve on their disappointing season and make another deep run in the NHL playoffs.
Their track record – six straight playoff appearances and 13 playoff spots in the past 16 seasons — says they will. Here’s how to bet on the Predators at Tennessee online sports betting sites.
The Predators had a bit of a down year in 2020, but their track record says they are likely to bounce back and be one of the NHL’s better teams. Their fate rests in the hands of improved goaltending from Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros, as well as the team adapting well to new coach John Hynes’ system.
If you want to get a bet down on the Preds on a night-by-night basis, you’ll find the best odds at Tennessee sportsbooks for Nashville’s next game on this page (when the season is on, of course).
The Predators joined the NHL in 1998 and have yet to win a Stanley Cup. They’re one of 11 teams in the league who have never hoisted the cup. Nashville did win the Western Conference once, back in 2017 and won the Central Division in two of the past three seasons. But those are the only two division titles in their history.
Here are the best Predators betting odds of winning the Stanley Cup, the Western Conference, and the Central Division from TN online sportsbooks. Click the odds to go directly to the sportsbook and claim your bonus/free bets.
Tennessee passed legislation to legalize sports betting in April 2019. A Nov.1, 2020 launch date will make it easy for the residents of Tennessee to bet on their beloved Predators.
Betting on sports has never been simpler, and you can do so directly on your smartphone. Simply download the sports betting app of your preferred sportsbook via any links on this page. As long as you’re of legal age, within Tennessee state lines, and your phone is properly geolocated, you’ll have no problem getting your Predators bets in.
Register a new account either before or after downloading the app and claim any bonuses or free bets you’re eligible for. You can find the current list of free bets and bonuses at each sportsbook right here.
Once you’ve registered an account, fund your account with a deposit, and you’re ready to get in on the action. Bet on Predators hockey via the “NHL” or “Ice Hockey” tabs on your sportsbook menu.
There’s still no word on how NHL hockey will be played in 2021. In a regular season, the league’s playoffs are over by early June. Due to the pandemic, this year’s playoffs ended in late September. The NHL season usually begins in early October, but obviously, that will not be the case this season.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has expressed his desire to play a full 82-game schedule. He has also said the goal is to start the season on Jan.1 , 2021. Both of these goals seem optimistic, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a shortened season that starts even later.
In a typical NHL season, teams play 82 games each. Forty-one games are played at home and 41 games are on the road. The NHL currently has 31 teams, which makes their season structure a little confusing. It’ll be more straightforward when the Seattle Kraken join the league in the summer 2021.
In the current alignment, each team plays either four or five games against the teams in their division. They play three games against each team that is in their conference, but not their division. They play two games against teams in the other conference. Each NHL team plays at least one game in every arena across the league every season.
Once the NHL releases their 2020-21 schedule, we will update this space.
The Predators finished the shortened 2019-20 regular season with a record of 35-26-8 in 69 games. This was good for 4th place in the Central Division and 6th place in terms of points percentage in the Western Conference.
Nashville entered the postseason bubble as a 6th seed and was therefore a part of the play-in qualifying round. They matched up against the Arizona Coyotes, who were the 11 seed. Arizona eliminated the Predators in the best-of-5 series in four games.
It was a bit unlucky for the Predators, as they were certainly in a solid position to make the playoffs had the season never been postponed. Instead, they were eliminated by a team that almost certainly wouldn’t have made the playoffs had the season continued in March.
The Predators made a coaching change midseason, replacing Peter Laviolette with John Hynes. Hynes was hired on Jan. 7 and won 16 of the 28 games he coached.
Roman Josi had a superb season, posting 65 points as a defenseman. He won the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman. Filip Forsberg continues to be the Predators’ most dangerous offensive weapon, scoring 21 goals in 63 games.
Pekka Rinne began the season as the Predators starting goalie, but Juuse Saros took over the starting job by midseason. Rinne underperformed based on his resume and Predators fans’ expectations for him. The subpar goaltending likely explains why the Predators dropped from first place in the division in 2019 to fourth in 2020.
2019-20 was a solid season for the Predators but it fell below the expectations the organization has for themselves.
There are three main markets to bet on in hockey.
Prop betting has become a favorite for sports bettors across the world. Sometimes you’re not sure if a team will win the game, but you’re certain that something else will happen in the game. This is where the prop betting market comes in. A prop is any bet that doesn’t relate to the moneyline or total.
Here are some popular hockey props:
Check out these props and more at Tennessee’s top sportsbooks.
Nashville’s core group of players has been intact for most of the past five years. Here are the franchise’s leaders in the major statistical categories since 2015.
Year | Goals | Assists | Points | Saves |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019-20 | Filip Forsberg (21) | Roman Josi (49) | Roman Josi (65) | Juuse Saros (1044) |
2018-19 | Viktor Arvidsson (34) | Ryan Johansen (50) | Ryan Johansen (64) | Pekka Rinne (1451) |
2017-18 | Viktor Arvidsson (29) | P.K. Subban (43) | Filip Forsberg (64) | Pekka Rinne (1706) |
2016-17 | Viktor Arvidsson (31) | Ryan Johansen (47) | Viktor Arvidsson (61) | Pekka Rinne (1613) |
2015-16 | Filip Forsberg (33) | Roman Josi (47) | Filip Forsberg (64) | Pekka Rinne (1422) |
The 2020 NHL entry draft is in the books. Don’t expect these Nashville Predators players to make an impact in the NHL for a few seasons. Nashville’s draft was headlined by first-round draft pick Yaroslav Askarov. Drafted with the 11th overall pick, the Russian goaltender was the top goalie prospect in this year’s draft. Here is the rest of the Predators 2020 draft:
Here are some notable draft picks from the past decade for the Predators.
John Hynes was hired as just the third coach in Nashville Predators’ history on Jan. 7, 2020. He replaced Peter Laviolette who was behind the bench for the Predators since 2014. Hynes went 16-11-3 in his 28 games coaching this past season.
Hynes’ previous (and only) NHL head-coaching experience comes with the New Jersey Devils. In four and a half seasons with the team, Hynes went 150-159-45. He made the playoffs only one time before being relieved of his duties on Dec. 3, 2019.
Hynes has not yet named his coaching staff for the upcoming season. He is expected to retain Dan Lambert. Lambert joined the Predators coaching staff under Peter Laviolette in 2019. He was previously an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres as well as the head coach of their minor league affiliate, the Rochester Americans.
Bridgestone Arena is a multi-purpose venue in downtown Nashville. The building was completed in 1996 and is the home of the Nashville Predators.
In addition to hockey, the arena has hosted the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournament, the SEC Men’s Basketball tournament, the CMA and CMT music awards, and numerous other concerts.
Tennessee is offering sports betting in an online-only setting. There are no plans for physical sportsbooks. However, you can enjoy the games you bet on at the following local bars:
Bailey’s is on Broadway just steps from Bridgestone Arena. Bailey’s features a full-service bar and a wide selection of major domestic, imported, and specialty beers. Plus, they have multiple billiard tables and Preds games alongside other major sports.
City Tap House has one of the area’s most extensive microbrew lineups, including over 60 draughts. They also have an 18-foot television screen to watch the Preds game on.
Broadway Brewhouse has televisions pointing in every direction. There’s no live music here, so you’ll be able to hear your friends while watching the game. Their signature drink is the ‘Bushwacker,’ a frozen creamy cocktail infused with rum.
Barlines is a stone’s throw from the Bridgestone Arena and not far from the home of the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Arena. It’s located inside the Omni Hotel. Barlines has 22 flat-screen TVs that they will change to any game you want to watch.
Nashville Predators hockey is broadcast on Fox Sports Tennessee to seven million households across Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and Mississippi.
Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic enters his sixth season as the voice of the Predators. Former Predators goaltender Chris Mason enters his fourth season as a color commentator. Kara Hammer will be entering her fourth season serving as a rinkside reporter for home games.
If you can’t get in front of a television, you can listen to the game on the Nashville Predators Radio Network. Headquartered in Nashville, the network is a joint-venture with the Predators and Cromwell Group. Tune your dial to 102.5 GM ‘The Game’ to hear the game in the Nashville area.
Pete Weber calls the play-by-play on the radio and has done so for all but six years of the franchise’s history. Since 2017, his analyst has been former Predators defenseman, Hal Gill.
The Nashville Predators joined the National Hockey League as an expansion team before the 1998-99 season. They currently compete in the NHL’s Central Division which is part of the Western Conference.
The Predators have never won the Stanley Cup in their 21-season history. They did represent the Western Conference in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Craig Leipold was the original owner of the Predators. Despite rumors and threats of moving the franchise to Kansas City, Leipold sold the franchise to a Nashville-based group headed by Dave Freeman.
The franchise is currently owned by a group known as Predators Holdings LLC. Partners include Thomas Cigarran, Christopher Cigarran, Herb Fritch, Joel and Holly Dobberpuhl, Brent Jacobs, Joey Jacobs, Scott Jacobs, DeWitt Thompson IV, Dewitt Thompson V, John Thompson, David Freeman, Warren Woo, and W. Brett Wilson. Thomas Cigarran served as chairman until 2019 when Fritch took over the duties.
There is still no certainty as to how the upcoming NHL season will look. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has expressed a goal of opening the season on Jan. 1, 2021. The league maintains its desire to play a full 82-game schedule. Whether these goals come to fruition depends largely on the country’s ability to slow the spread of the coronavirus and a potential vaccine.
The ultimate goal for the league is to have fans back in the arenas at some point this season, but it remains to be seen whether that’s a realistic goal. It would be no surprise if the league started the season with a regional-based schedule with limited travel while it attempts to buy time until conditions allow for a return of spectators. NHL players weren’t huge fans of the playoff bubble, so it remains unlikely the NHL will go that route for a full regular season.
The franchise is currently owned by a group known as Predators Holdings LLC. Partners include Thomas Cigarran, Christopher Cigarran, Herb Fritch, Joel and Holly Dobberpuhl, Brent Jacobs, Joey Jacobs, Scott Jacobs, DeWitt Thompson IV, Dewitt Thompson V, John Thompson, David Freeman, Warren Woo, and W. Brett Wilson. Thomas Cigarran served as chairman until 2019 when Fritch took over the duties.
Roman Josi is the current Predators captain. He is the seventh captain in team history and has served as the captain since 2017.
Nashville Predators tickets range from a price of $40 to $240. On secondary resale websites, tickets can be had for as low as $24 with an average price of $105.
None, the Predators have never won the Stanley Cup, though they did make it to the Cup Final in 2017.
Nashville has made the playoffs 13 times in their 21 season history. They have made the playoffs in six straight seasons and 13 times in the past 16 years.
According to Forbes, the Nashville Predators are worth $460 million. They were sold for $174 million in 2007.
No Nashville Predators numbers are retired at this point.
You can follow the Predators on Twitter at @PredsNHL.
No. Nashville Predators games are streamed via NHL TV which costs $139.99 for a full season of all games. You can get access to just one team for $109.99. A monthly subscription costs $24.99.