Predators vs. Blues Game 5 Pick
Will the Nashville Predators be the first to punch their ticket to the conference finals when they face the St. Louis Blues in Game 5 at 8PM ET tonight?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Blues are a slight favorite at home, as St. Louis is getting odds of -115 to win tonight. Nashville is listed with a money line of -105 on the road. The over/under total is set at 5 goals.
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Nashville took a 3-1 lead in the series thanks to a 2-1 win in Game 4 on Tuesday. Three of the four games in this series have been decided by one goal. Nashville comes into today 48-30-12 overall and 20-21-4 on the road. St. Louis now is 51-33-7 overall and 26-14-5 at home.
The Blues actually had a 33-25 edge in shots in Game 4, but the Predators managed to get the victory anyway. The Preds got a 2-0 lead in the third period when Ryan Ellis and James Neal found the net. Joel Edmundson score in the closing minutes, but the Blues couldn’t force OT. Pekka Rinne was strong at home once again, making 32 saves in the victory.
The Predators have been the better team all series and only fell in Game 2 thanks to more than 20 penalty minutes on the road. When Nashville stays out of the box, St. Louis can’t seem to beat it. Pekka Rinne got back on track while at home, making 54 saves in two games. While his performances in St. Louis weren’t great, I think these back-to-back showings at home should give him the momentum he needs to shut down the Blues tonight. I like the Predators to advance to the conference semifinals tonight.
NHL PLAYOFFS PREDICTION: NASHVILLE PREDATORS -105