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MAY 23 - Nashville Predators Betting Preview & 2017 Stanley Cup Prediction

Nashville Predators Betting Preview & 2017 Stanley Cup Prediction

Written by on May 23, 2017

Before the postseason began, there were very few people who gave the Nashville Predators a shot at getting out of the first round, never mind all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. They have achieved what many believed to be impossible, though, as they finished off the Anaheim Ducks in 6 games, and are now waiting for the outcome of the Eastern Conference Final between the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins. I’m sure that the Predators don’t really care who they face at this point, but I believe that their chances of winning it all are dependent on who meets them in the Stanley Cup Final. Let’s look at how they match up with both potential opponents before making predictions on each. Find out more about the updated NHL betting odds here.

A Closer Look At The Nashville Predators Betting Preview & 2017 Stanley Cup Prediction

 
 

Nashville Predators Chances Versus the Pittsburgh Penguins

The defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins look favorites to join the Predators in the final after taking a 3-2 series lead over the Senators. This may not be the best match-up for Nashville, although they did split the regular season series this year. Going further back, though, Nashville are just 3-7 in their last 10 meetings with Pittsburgh, which is not what anyone would call positive. During the regular season split, it was the home team that came out on top each time, which again goes against Nashville, as it is the Penguins who would have home ice advantage in this series. This would certainly be an offense versus defense type series, with Nashville tough to break down, while the Penguins have arguably the best offense in the league. I would need to go with the Penguins in 6 games if this proved to be the Stanley Cup Final. Nashville Predators Chances Versus the Pittsburgh Penguins

Nashville Predators Chances Versus the Ottawa Senators

This would most certainly be the match-up that would give the Nashville Predators the best shot at hoisting the Stanley Cup trophy. These two teams hooked up twice in the regular season, and it was Nashville who won both, outscoring the Senators 8-2 in those meetings. They have also won 6 of the previous 7 meetings against Ottawa, so they would almost certainly be the betting odds favorites where they to meet the Senators in the final. As good as Nashville were defensively against Ottawa in the regular season, it can be argued that they have been even better during the playoffs. Ottawa obviously struggled to score against Nashville earlier this season, and would therefore likely struggle again. I see Nashville winning this potential series in 5 games.

Can the Nashville Predators Win the Stanley Cup?

The Predators have confounded the odds from the very start, and have ridden great defense and goaltending all the way to the final. Whether they win may well come down to who they face, but even if it is the high-powered Penguins they meet, let’s remember that Nashville have built a defensive wall that is tough to break down. If they do manage to win the Stanley Cup, you can bet that Pekka Rinne will be the man named the MVP.