Minnesota (42-24-9) at Nashville (48-16-11)
When: Tuesday, March 27th 2018
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
Time: 8:05 ET | TV: FS North, FS Tennessee
Opening Odds: Nashville -165/5.5
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The Nashville Predators are in a tight battle with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the President’s Cup as we approach the end of the regular season, and they will take on the surging Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night, a team the Preds have had trouble with all season. The Wild have already won the season series against Nashville and will look to beat them for the fourth time in 2017-18 and second in the last four days. Minnesota handled the Predators 4-1 on Saturday as part of their 11-4-2 mark in their last 17 games overall. The Wild are coming off a 2-1 overtime loss on Sunday to the Boston Bruins as Zach Parise set up captain Mikko Koivu’s goal midway into the third period to give him points in 11 of his last 15 games – a stretch that includes his 13th goal and 20th point in his 26th career meeting with Nashville. The Predators loss to Minnesota last week is part of a stretch in which they have lost three straight following their franchise-best 15-game point streak, including Sunday’s 5-4 shootout setback to Winnipeg. Filip Forsberg increased his point total to 13 (four goals, nine assists) in his last 13 games after setting up a goal for the second straight night. He enters Tuesday’s contest with Minnesota with three assists in as many meetings this season. The Predators are 2-for-13 on the power play versus Minnesota this season and 2-for-32 in their last 10 games overall.
Eric Staal (39 goals) has had a resurgent season and can become the first player since Gordie Howe to bookend 40-goal seasons around an absence of at least nine years. Staal, who saw his four-game point streak end against Boston, has hurt Nashville for five points (one goal, four assists) in 2017-18, trumped only by Mikael Granlund’s six-points including his second career hat trick in Minnesota’s 4-2 win on December 29th. Goalie Devan Dubnyk has done his part with a 3-0-0 mark and .925 save percentage this season versus the Predators. The Wild signed 2018 U.S. Olympian Jordan Greenway to a three-year, entry-level contract on Monday.
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Ryan Johansen scored the only goal for Nashville in the last meeting with Minnesota on Saturday, giving him five points (two goals, three assists) in the season series. Defenseman P.K. Subban also has five points against the Wild in 2017-18 and has an assist in three straight and four of his last five games overall, raising his team-leading total to 39. Viktor Arvidsson leads the team in both goals (28) and points (58), with two and three, respectively, coming against Minnesota this season. Netminder and possible Vezina Trophy winner Pekka Rinne, has 40 wins this season, but is 0-3-0 with a 3.73 goals-against average and .891 save percentage against Minnesota.
The trends say to take Minnesota in this game, but the Predators are awfully tough to beat at home and will be looking to gather some momentum into the postseason. The Wild are under .500 on the road, while the Preds are 25-8-4.
Pick: Predators -165
- Wild are 5-1 in their last 6 Tuesday games.
- Wild are 8-2 in their last 10 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Wild are 5-2 in their last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Wild are 7-3 in their last 10 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Wild are 7-3 in their last 10 road games.
- Wild are 35-72 in their last 107 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Wild are 3-7 in their last 10 in the third game of a 3-in-4 situation.
- Predators are 7-0 in their last 7 in the fourth game of a 4-in-6 situation.
- Predators are 5-0 in their last 5 Tuesday games.
- Predators are 6-1 in their last 7 in the third game of a 3-in-4 situation.
- Predators are 5-1 in their last 6 when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Predators are 16-5 in their last 21 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Predators are 19-7 in their last 26 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Predators are 25-10 in their last 35 vs. Central.
- Predators are 42-17 in their last 59 home games.
- Predators are 52-21 in their last 73 vs. Western Conference.
- Predators are 9-4 in their last 13 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Predators are 11-5 in their last 16 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Predators are 43-20 in their last 63 overall.
- Over is 4-1 in Wild last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Wild last 5 Tuesday games.
- Over is 9-3-2 in Wild last 14 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 18-7-2 in Wild last 27 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Over is 18-7-4 in Wild last 29 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
- Over is 5-2-1 in Wild last 8 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Over is 7-3-1 in Wild last 11 road games.
- Under is 3-0-1 in Predators last 4 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.
- Under is 6-0-1 in Predators last 7 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Over is 5-0 in Predators last 5 when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Over is 5-0 in Predators last 5 in the third game of a 3-in-4 days situation.
- Under is 4-1 in Predators last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Over is 4-1 in Predators last 5 in the fourth game of a 4-in-6 days situation.
- Under is 7-3 in Predators last 10 Tuesday games.
- Home team is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings.
- Under is 3-1-2 in the last 6 meetings in Nashville.
Trends courtesy of SportsOptions.com – an UltimateCapper.com partner
