Predators vs. Golden Knights Odds
| Predators Odds | +105 |
| Golden Knights Odds | -126 |
| Over / Under | 5.5 -130/ +106 |
Here's everything you need to know about the Nashville Predators vs. Vegas Golden Knights on Monday, Jan. 15 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
Nashville certainly had an eventful weekend, first beating the Stars, and then scoring three goals in the final five minutes against the Islanders to win 3-1. The Predators are still in the thick of the playoff hunt, standing fourth in a stacked Central Division.
Vegas is going through some adversity right now. While still second in the Pacific, it’s gone 3-7 in its last 10 games, including most recently a loss to the Flames.
Can we see the defending champs bounce back? Here's my Predators vs. Golden Knights pick and preview.
Nashville Predators
General manager Barry Trotz has built this roster pretty well in his first season upstairs. Filip Forsberg, who’s a Predators staple, is on pace for his best season ever, Ryan O’Reilly was a real solid pickup and Roman Josi will always be a threat from the back end. A real solid pickup was Gustav Nyquist, who’s the fourth-leading scorer and playing at a high level.
Nashville is about as middle-of-the-road as you’re going to get. The Preds play a decent 5-on-5 game, ranking 13th in expected goals with a 51.65 xGF%, and 15th defensively with a 2.59 xGA/60.
Just as you’d expect, the Predators' special teams is pretty bland. The power play scores at a decent 21% clip, and the penalty kill, albeit weaker, can still get the job done at 76%.
In typical Nashville fashion, Juuse Saros is pretty much being run into the ground. He’s one of the game's elite goaltenders, but not playing like his usual self. I would expect to see him take the crease with his mediocre .901 SV% and -8.2 goals saved above expected (GSAx).
Vegas Golden Knights
Despite the rough stretch, Vegas’ top guys are doing all they can. Jack Eichel is averaging over a point per game, while Mark Stone has four points in his last five games. Last season’s Conn Smythe winner, Jonathan Marchessault, has been a little quiet though, as he and William Karlsson are two critical pieces to this team’s long and short term success.
As the Knights have fallen into a pit, their 5-on-5 numbers have drastically suffered. Once in the top five, they are now 12th with a 51.93 xGF%, and 13th with a 2.55 xGA/60.
There hasn’t been much to write home about with their special teams. The power play is fine, scoring almost 21% of the time, and the penalty kill is at 79%.
The goaltending situation in Vegas has sort of been a mess. Injuries are running amok, and players who shouldn’t be playing are seeing more time than the team would likely prefer. However, Logan Thompson is somewhat of a constant, and he most likely starts tonight. He’s playing to a fine .905 SV% and a 4.2 GSAx.
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Predators vs. Golden Knights
Betting Pick & Prediction
Vegas is vulnerable here, and it’s playing at home where it’s 15-5-2. The Predators, on the other hand, do well on the road with an 11-7-1 record.
I like the Predators here. They’ve played a solid brand of hockey in their last 10 games, and really impressed me on Saturday against the Islanders. Even though the Knights statistically are fairly dominant at home, the Predators are definitely a live dog here.
While Saros has had a down year, he looked incredible on Saturday, stopping nearly everything that was thrown his way. Thompson also has had solid numbers in his last three starts against Nashville, but the Preds may be on the brink of a surge.
At plus-value, I’m backing Nashville to win it.
Pick: Predators ML (+105)
