When you enter the NHL playoffs as the number 8 seed, there are very few people who will give you ant shot at getting out of the first round, never mind making a deep run in the postseason. The Nashville Predators certainly seemed to be up against it after landing the Chicago Blackhawks in the opening round, but a 4-game sweep in that one instantly made the Predators seem like a legitimate dark horse pick. One great series does not a champion make, though, and Nashville knew that they were in for another tough one with the St. Louis Blues the opponent they would need to face in the second round.
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The Predators have done the first part by getting a split from the opening two games in St. Louis, and if they can continue to hold court in their own building, they will be the team moving on to the Western Conference Final, which would certainly be up there in terms of major surprises. The Blues need a win in Game 4 to steal back home ice advantage, making this the most crucial game in the series so far.
St. Louis Blues at Nashville Predators Game 4 Info
When: Tuesday, May 2 at 9:30 PM EST
Where: Madison Square Garden, NYC
TV: NBCSN
Radio: TSN 1200 Live Stream
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra
NHL Odds: Nashville Predators -1½+185, ML -170, Total 5 (o/u-120)
Why bet on the Nashville Predators
The Predators have now played 3 home games in this postseason, and have yet to drop one. They won both games at home in the opening round versus Chicago, and they took Game 3 of this series to jump out to a 2-1 lead. Perhaps what should be the most alarming for the Blues is that Nashville have only conceded 4 goals in the 3 games that they have played on home ice in this postseason. The Predators have been fantastic in their own end during the playoffs, but they have been particularly tough to break down in their own building. If they can get another win to snatch a 3-1 series lead, it’s tough to imagine that they would then go on to lose 3-straight.
Why bet on the St. Louis Blues
When you combine the playoffs with regular season meetings, the St. Louis Blues have now lost 4 straight games in Nashville. This is a streak that they really need to break on Tuesday night, as extending that losing run to 5 would likely mean that they would not be long for these playoffs. St. Louis are going to need to play a whole lot better than they did in Game 3 if they are to get back into this series. You are just not going to have much success if you can only generate 23 shots, especially when going against a goaltender who has been at the top of his game during the postseason.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
The Nashville Predators took the lead in this series by playing some incredibly stifling hockey in Game 3. Another performance like that will see the Blues being pushed to the brink.
Nashville Predators 3 St. Louis Blues 2
