As great a sport as hockey is, it is one that still has a difficult time finding traction with the American viewing public. Over the years, the NHL had tried a variety of different things to draw attention, some of which have not been great (anyone remembering the glowing puck experiment?). Having games on NBCSN on a regular basis has certainly helped, but it is perhaps the Winter Classic that has proven to be the biggest hit.
The Winter Classic is a game that is played in a massive outdoor setting, with the game playing out like a giant game of pond hockey. It had become one of the features of the New Year’s Day sports calendar, which means that it’s just about time to drop the puck on another one, with the Nashville Predators and the Dallas Stars set to lock horns in the Cotton Bowl on Wednesday afternoon. The Predators need to start winning to get back up close to the playoff line, but they will head into Dallas as a 1 ½ goal underdog, with the goal total for the Winter Classic set at 5 ½.
Predators vs Stars NHL Betting Odds, Game Info & Prediction
- When: Wednesday, January 1 at 2 PM EST
- Where: Cotton Bowl, Dallas
- TV: NBC
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
- Radio: SiriusXM
- NHL Odds: Dallas Stars -1.5 (Total 5.5)
Why bet on the Nashville Predators?
The Nashville Predators are unlike a lot of the other teams wallowing in the bottom half of the conference in that they are currently sitting with a positive goal differential, albeit a modest +5. That supremacy has not really translated to wins in a meaningful way for the Predators, though, as they are sitting at 18-14-6 on the season, which has them on 42 points and second bottom in the Central Division.It is not all bad news for the Predators, though, as the playoff race in the Western Conference is shaping up to be a very good one this season. Nashville is just 3 points back of the final Wild Card spot, so a win here would be huge. They are losers of 2 in a row, though and are 5-4-1 in their last 10. They are 8-7-2 in road games this season.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.47
- Shots: 34.08
- PP/PK Percentage: 15.91
Defense
- Goals: 3.34
- Shots: 29.05
- PP/PK Percentage: 24.17
Why bet on the Dallas Stars?
The Dallas Stars are not in what anyone would call a comfortable spot in the playoff race, but they are 3 points up on the teams in the Wild Card slots right now. They are, though, on a nice little run of form, winning a modest 2 in a row and going 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. This will be the second meeting between the Stars and the Predators this season, and it was Dallas who came away with a very comfortable 4-1 road win in the previous meeting.
While not in their own building, this one is still considered to be a home game. The Stars are 13-6-2 with home ice advantage this season, so you would certainly like their chances in the Cotton Bowl in front of a huge partisan crowd.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 2.68
- Shots: 30.68
- PP/PK Percentage: 16.52
Defense
- Goals: 2.53
- Shots: 31.98
- PP/PK Percentage: 15.33
Predators vs Stars NHL Betting Trends
- Predators are 4-9 SU in their last 13 games against an opponent in the West conference
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Nashville’s last 6 games on the road
- Stars are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games played on a Wednesday
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Dallas’ last 8 games at home
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Predators vs Stars
These Winter Classic Games tend to fall on the side of unpredictability, with many of them very often going the way of OT and the shootout. I’m not so sure we get that here, though, as I like Dallas to win and cover.Score: Nashville Predators 2 – Dallas Stars 4
