Capitals vs. Predators Pick
Will the Nashville Predators stay strong at home when they play host to the Washington Capitals tonight at 8PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Nashville is favored at home, as the Predators are getting odds of -135 to win, while the Capitals are listed with a money line of +115 to win. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 5.5 goals. Tonight’s game takes place from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee and will air live on NBCSN.
Washington is coming off a 2-1 shootout win over Edmonton on Sunday. The Capitals have won two straight and five of their last six games. Washington is 10-7-1 on the season and 5-4-1 on the road. Washington is averaging 2.83 goals per game this season while allowing 2.94 per contest. Alex Ovechkin has 13 goals and six assists to lead the Capitals while Evgeny Kuznetsov has three goals and 16 assists. Braden Holtby is 10-3 on the season in net with a 2.35 GAA and a .927 save percentage.
Nashville is coming off a 5-4 shootout win over Pittsburgh on Saturday for its fourth straight victory. The Predators are 9-5-2 on the season and 4-1-1 at home. Nashville is putting up 2.75 goals per game this season while allowing 2.81 per contest. Filip Forsberg has eight goals and eight assists to lead the team while Viktor Arvidsson has six goals and four assists. Pekka Rinne is 8-2-2 on the season with a 2.23 GAA and a .929 save percentage.
Nashville has won five of its last seven meetings with the Capitals, including four of the last five meetings at home. The home team has also won seven of the last 10 in this series. Nashville has been tough to beat at home for some time, winning 21 of their last 28 at home. Behind Rinne, I think the Predators are able to stay strong at home. The public betting is slightly backing the Capitals tonight, but I think the Predators defend their home ice.
NHL DAILY PREDICTION: NASHVILLE PREDATORS -135