It’s a potential playoff preview on Tuesday night as the Central Division-leading Nashville Predators look for a fourth straight win as they host the surprising Winnipeg Jets, a division rival. Although the NHL odds for this matchup are not out yet, we’ve taken the liberty to select the NHL betting pick for you to consider.
Fiala and Kevin Turris each extended their respective point streaks to seven games, among the longest active in the NHL. Turris registered an assist against the Flames and has been white hot since being acquired by the Predators with four goals and 17 points in 17 contests. Nashville immediately inked Turris to a six-year, $36 million extension when they acquired him from Ottawa in a three-way trade a few weeks ago.
The Preds could be without winger Austin Watson in this one after he accumulated 22 minutes of penalties on Saturday. Watson was assessed a tripping minor early in the second period, but the vast majority resulted from a single incident. He was given a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct for his hit on Calgary’s Garnet Hathaway and another five minutes for fighting Troy Brouwer as a result of that hit. Watson could face suspension as a repeat offender. He was already suspended for two games in November for boarding Colorado’s Dominic Toninato.
Winnipeg at Nashville NHL Betting Pick & Expert Prediction
When: Tuesday, 8 PM ET Where: Bridgestone Arena TV: NHL Center Ice/FSSM Radio: 1290 AM (Winnipeg) / WPRT-FM 102.5 (Nashville) Opening NHL Betting Lines: TBA#JetsTV‘s @MitchellClinton recaps tonight’s 4-0 victory from #NHLJets over the St. Louis Blues. #STLvsWPG pic.twitter.com/YYTc0Ofu08
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) December 18, 2017
First Meeting
On Nov. 20, the Predators also hosted the Jets and Nashville won 5-3. Kyle Turris, Kevin Fiala and Ryan Johansen each had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators. Mattias Ekholm and Nick Bonino also scored, and P.K. Subban, Viktor Arvidsson and Roman Josi added two assists apiece. Pekka Rinne made 32 saves. Nashville used a three-goal second period to break the game open. Mathieu Perreault scored twice and Tyler Myers had a goal and an assist for the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck was in net for Winnipeg. “They just took over,” Winnipeg’s Blake Wheeler said. “A couple of penalties didn’t help our cause. (We) just didn’t do enough little things and they capitalized on their opportunities.”Why Bet on Winnipeg?
Will it be Steve Mason or Hellebuyck in net for this one? Mason started Saturday and allowed two goals on 30 shots in a 2-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues in the first of a home-and-home set. Mason made his first start for Winnipeg since being sidelined with a concussion. He is now 2-5-1 with a 3.26 GAA and a .907 save percentage. Hellebuyck started Sunday at home vs. the Blues and entered that with 16-4-4 record, 2.54 GAA, and .917 save percentage in 26 contests this season. Jets coach Paul Maurice set an unwanted record last week: most career regulation losses (579 as of this writing). Maurice passed Al Arbour for top spot in that category. “(With) longevity, eventually you’re going to crack that number,” Maurice said. “If I’d had a team like this for 20 of those seasons, I wouldn’t have reached it quite as fast. Survival is not something you want to be the most important thing people say about you, but there’s a quality there. The teams that I’ve coached worked hard. I look back at them and we start every year thinking we’ve got a chance to win and I feel the same way about this one. But this one has got a little more firepower.” You don’t want to play Winnipeg at home. The Jets hold down one of the best home records in the NHL this season at 11-3-1, good for a .767 points percentage. They are rolling at 35.8% (19-for-53) on the power play at home, which leads the NHL. Winnipeg is 10-for-20 (50.0%) on the power play in their last five home games. The Jets are averaging 3.7 goals per game this month after averaging 3.42 goals per game in November and three goals per game in October. Wheeler is tied for third in NHL scoring in December with 10 points (2G, 8A), while Patrik Laine is tied for seventh with nine points (4G, 5A) in seven games.Team Statistics
Offense- Goals: 3.29
- Shots: 30.79
- PP/PK Percentage: 25.62
- Goals: 2.76
- Shots: 31.68
- PP/PK Percentage: 20.16
Why Bet on Nashville?
The Preds enter on a three-game winning streak following a 2-0 win at Calgary on Saturday night to finish a perfect road trip through Canada. Rinne had 32 saves in Nashville’s second straight shutout two nights after Juuse Saros had 46 saves in a 4-0 win at Edmonton. Ryan Johansen and Kevin Fiala scored for the Predators, who are 6-0-1 in their last seven games. Viktor Arvidsson recorded his 100th career NHL point with an assist on Johansen’s goal. The Preds blocked 19 shots and killed the Flames’ five power plays, including a two-man advantage in the second period.
Fiala and Kevin Turris each extended their respective point streaks to seven games, among the longest active in the NHL. Turris registered an assist against the Flames and has been white hot since being acquired by the Predators with four goals and 17 points in 17 contests. Nashville immediately inked Turris to a six-year, $36 million extension when they acquired him from Ottawa in a three-way trade a few weeks ago.
The Preds could be without winger Austin Watson in this one after he accumulated 22 minutes of penalties on Saturday. Watson was assessed a tripping minor early in the second period, but the vast majority resulted from a single incident. He was given a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct for his hit on Calgary’s Garnet Hathaway and another five minutes for fighting Troy Brouwer as a result of that hit. Watson could face suspension as a repeat offender. He was already suspended for two games in November for boarding Colorado’s Dominic Toninato.
Team Statistics
Offense- Goals: 3.38
- Shots: 30.44
- PP/PK Percentage: 26.45
- Goals: 2.66
- Shots: 32.97
- PP/PK Percentage: 16.30
Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)
- Record: Winnipeg 4-5-1 / Nashville 6-3-1
- Score: Winnipeg 2.50 / Nashville 3.60
- Shots: Winnipeg 26.40 / Nashville 34.90
- Power Play Goals: Winnipeg 5 / Nashville 10
- Number of Power Plays: Winnipeg 29 / Nashville 41
- Power Play Percentage: Winnipeg 17.24% / Nashville 24.39%
- Penalty Kill Percentage: Winnipeg 75.61 / Nashville 82.76
