The Nashville Predators and the Vegas Golden Knights face off at Bridgestone Arena in a Western Conference matchup. It’s the first time these two clubs have ever met head-to-head. The action gets started at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, December 8 and it will air live on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain.
Vegas Golden Knights at Nashville Predators Odds
With a -185 moneyline, Nashville enters the matchup as the heavy favorite. The line for Vegas sits at +160, and the oddsmakers have put the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals (-110 for the over, -110 for the under).
Nashville is 18-10 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 7.4 units this season. That winning percentage, ranked third in the league in this young season, is an improvement over the 41-41 record from the 2016-17 season campaign. Through 28 regular season outings, 15 of its games have gone over the total, while 13 have gone under and none have pushed. This season, the team is 11-3 SU at home.
The Predators currently have the second-best power-play unit in the NHL, as they have converted on 27.1 percent of their extra-man opportunities this year. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked sixth overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 83.2 percent of all penalties.
The Predators, as a collective unit, have been called for penalties 5.5 times per game overall this season, and 4.4 per game over their last five matchups at home. The team has been forced to stave off opposition power plays for 9.4 minutes per contest over their last five home games.
Averaging 30.2 saves per game with a .926 save percentage, Pekka Rinne (16-6-2) has been the best goalkeeper for Nashville this year. If head coach Peter Laviolette chooses to give him the evening off, however, Nashville may turn to Juuse Saros (2-4-4 record, .890 save percentage, 3.43 goals against average).
Filip Forsberg and Kyle Turris will each be focal points for the Predators. Forsberg (28 points) has produced 14 goals and 14 assists and has recorded two or more points in seven different games this year. Turris has six goals and 15 assists to his credit and has notched at least one point in 12 contests.
On the other bench, Vegas is 17-10 straight up (SU) and has earned 10.5 units for moneyline bettors this year. A total of 17 of its matches have gone over the total, while eight have gone under and just two have pushed. As the visiting team so far, the Golden Knights are 6-8 SU.
The Golden Knights have converted on 18.8 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 25th overall and it’s successfully killed off 77.6 percent of all penalties.
Vegas skaters have been penalized only 3.5 times per game in total this season, 3.0 per game over their last five games total, and 3.8 per game over their last five road outings. The team has been forced to stave off opponent power plays just 6.5 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Maxime Lagace (.866 save percentage and 3.85 goals against average) has been the primary option in goal for Vegas. Lagace is averaging 22.9 saves per game and has six wins, seven losses, and one OT loss to his credit.
Jonathan Marchessault (10 goals, 15 assists) and William Karlsson (14 goals, 11 assists) are the top offensive options for Vegas and will lead the attack for the visiting Golden Knights.
Vegas Golden Knights at Nashville Predators Free Picks
Predictions: SU Winner – Golden Knights, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- Three of Nashville’s last ten games have been decided by a shootout. The team is 2-1 in those games and 3-2 overall in shootouts this year.
- Nashville has scored 3.3 goals per game overall this year, but is averaging 4.3 per contest in its last three games (the teams a perfect 2-0 SU over that streak).
- Six of Nashville’s last ten outings have been decided by two or more goals, and the club is 5-1 overall in those games.
