With only about a quarter of the NHL season left to play, it is still almost impossible to predict who will be in or out when all is said and done. Sure, there are a handful of teams who have all but punched their playoff tickets right now, but just one look at the Wild Card standings lets you know that the battle for those eight spots in each conference is more than likely going to go all the way down to the final couple of days of the season. For now, let’s focus on what is going on in the Western Conference, where the Wild Card race is about as tight as it gets.
The Dallas Stars are in possession of the first of those two spots, but they are far from safe, as there are 4 teams all sitting within 4 points of that coveted position. They will try to hang onto that spot on Tuesday night when their Central Division rivals, the Nashville Predators head into Dallas. The Predators are favored by 1 ½ in this one, with the O/U set at 5 ½.
Predators vs Stars NHL Betting Odds & Game Preview
#Preds sign goaltender Thomas McCollum to one-year, two-way contract. @mkeadmiralshttps://t.co/436xP2W2N8
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) 19 de febrero de 2019
- When: Tuesday, February 19 at 8:30 PM EST
- Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas
- TV: ESPN+
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
- NHL Odds: Nashville Predators -125 (Total 5.5)
Why bet on the Nashville Predators?
The Nashville Predators look rather comfortable in the #2 spot in the division, sitting just 3 points back of the Winnipeg Jets. That said, the Predators are going to need to win to maintain their current spot, as the St. Louis Blues are making a solid run in the #3 spot with 10 straight wins under their belt.
Nashville has gone 5-4-1 in their last 10 games, which is just okay, and head into Dallas with a 15-11-4 road record on the season. On the plus side of things, they have been very good against Dallas in recent season, posting a 7-2-1 record against the Stars in their last 10 meetings. They have gone 4-2 ATS in their last 6 visits to Dallas, so all signs here would appear to point to a win for the Nashville Predators.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.05
- Shots: 32.77
- PP/PK Percentage: 13.24
Defense
- Goals: 2.62
- Shots: 29.69
- PP/PK Percentage: 18.62
Why bet on the Dallas Stars?
While the Stars are sitting pretty in the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, they have allowed the chasing pack to edge a little closer after losing back to back games. Despite those losses, the Stars are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games overall, but perhaps more importantly, they are a very solid 18-8-2 on home ice.
The season series between these two has been split evenly down the middle, but what is particularly odd is that both wins picked up by the Stars came on the road, with both of those wins being of the low-scoring variety. In fact, the last 4 meetings between these two teams have seen the total goals come in at 5 or less, so perhaps another defensive struggle might be on the cards here.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 2.50
- Shots: 30.05
- PP/PK Percentage: 20.00
Defense
- Goals: 2.57
- Shots: 30.81
- PP/PK Percentage: 17.82
Predators vs Stars NHL Betting Trends
- Nashville is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
- Nashville is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nashville’s last 5 games on the road
- Dallas is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games at home
- Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Dallas’s last 8 games at home
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction
Losing 2 in a row is not a total disaster for the Stars, but it may have them coming into this one a little tight, especially when you see how close things are in the Wild Card. I have Nashville winning in a low-scoring affair.
Score: Nashville Predators 3 – Dallas Stars 2
