Bridgestone Arena (Nashville)
Nashville lost both starting games of the new championship. John Hines' team will play their third match against the Los Angeles Kings. Will the Predators finally manage to win? There are several options to bet on.
Nashville is not moving forward
Since the 2016/17 season, when the Predators managed to reach the Stanley Cup Finals, the team has never made any progress. And it's far from certain that they will be able to do so in the new championship. The start of the season certainly does not bode well: John Hines' team suffered two straight home losses. First, the Predators failed to cope with NHL debutant Seattle Kraken, losing 3-4. And then they were once again beaten 1-3 by Carolina. Well, the not badly named offense isn't particularly effective, and the defense with goaltenders isn’t reliable enough. Typical Nashville of the last few seasons.
Los Angeles has already done a lot
Unlike Nashville, the Californians are at least trying to change. Over the past few years, the team has undergone a complete change and may already have a shot at clinching a playoff spot this season. At least the first two games gave reason to be optimistic. First, the Kings defeated Vegas 6-2 and then fell just short of scoring against Minnesota, losing 2-3. The fruits of the roster changes are paying off. Todd McLellan is not the kind of coach who would put up with a permanent stagnation at the bottom of the standings.
Injuries
- Nashville: Mathieu Olivier, David Rittich;
- Los Angeles: Lias Andersson, Andreas Athanasiou, Brendan Lemieux, Quinton Byfield.
Head-to-head encounters
Nashville beat Los Angeles in 7 of their last 8 encounters.
Expert Betting Tips
Despite the poor head-to-head stats against Nashville, Los Angeles could very well look forward to a win in Tennessee. If not for a win in regulation time, then for one point for sure. The Kings will surely concede more than once, but they will also find goals in a matchup with an unbalanced opponent.
Prediction: Los Angeles won’t lose in a high-scoring match.
Betting options:
- Los Angeles Not To Lose for 1.82;
- Total Over (5.5) for 1.70;
- Los Angeles Individual Total Over (2.5) for 2.05.