For the Chicago Blackhawks the 2018-19 season will go down as a lost one. Despite their recent improvement in their overall play the Blackhawks dug themselves an impossible hole to dig out of in the first two months of the season. For the Nashville Predators their Stanley Cup window appears to still be wide open. The Preds have the deepest defensive corps in the NHL and goaltender Pekka Rinne remains one of the elite netminders in the game. Nashville has recently gotten back on track after an ugly December drop-off in production.
NHL Betting at Bookmaker.eu
Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Date and Time: Wednesday, January 9, 2019, 8 p.m. ET
Location: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
NHL Betting Online Odds at Bookmaker.eu: Check Back Later
Predators vs. Blackhawks TV Coverage: NBCSN
Odds Analysis
Betting action will likely be strong on Nashville as they have the credibility of being an established top tier team. While the Blackhawks are a popular team with the public they are now established as past their prime. The loss of goaltender Corey Crawford to concussion issues for the second consecutive season doesn’t add to Chicago’s appeal with the gambling public.
Current Form
Nashville has halted a six-game losing streak with three wins in their last four games. As a result, the Predators lead the Central Division with a record of 25-15-2-1. Nashville has gone over the total in just 20 of their 43 games so far. The Preds have a road record of 10-8-2-1 and have gone over the total in 12 of those 21 away matchups.
Chicago has a record of 15-21-6-1 which puts them in the basement of the Central Division with the equally bad St. Louis Blues. The Blackhawks have lost three of their last five games with just two of their last six games going over the total. At United Center the Blackhawks are 8-9-3-1 with just 10 of their 21 home games going over the total.
Matchup Metrics
Chicago’s NHL rankings are indicative of their struggles this year. The Blackhawks rank 19th in the NHL for goal scoring, 24th for the power play, 29th for goals against and 31st for the penalty kill.
On the other hand, Nashville is quite strong, especially on the back end of the ice. To show the Predators rank 13th in the NHL for goal scoring, 28th for the power play, first for goals against and 10th for penalty killing.
Goaltending Report
Nashville’s top goaltender, Pekka Rinne, has recovered from last year’s poor playoff performance with a solid season so far. Rinne has a .919 save percentage with a 2.31 goals against average and two shutouts with a record of 15-10-2. Backup Juuse Saros is 10-5-1 with a .907 save percentage and a 2.71 goals against average. Saros has also posted two shutouts.
Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford missed the second half of last season with concussion issues and is facing a potential repeat of that scenario. Veteran backup Cam Ward has a poor .888 save percentage and 3.85 goals against average with a record of 6-7-4. Callup Collin Delia has been strong with a .952 save percentage, 1.98 goals against average, and record of 3-0-1.
Players to Watch
Nashville has the best blue line corps in the NHL. Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis, and PK Subban comprise tremendous depth. The Preds are also deep up the middle with centers Ryan Johansen and Craig Smith. However, two other top centers, Filip Forsberg and Kyle Turris are out with injuries.
The Blackhawks marquee remains headlined by right wing Patrick Kane and center Jonathan “Captain Serious” Toews. But the supporting cast has deteriorated dramatically.
Free NHL Live Betting Odds Pick
Nashville has the massive live betting advantage with its defense and goaltending. Chicago’s back end has eroded and their goaltending is unstable.
NHL Live Betting Odds Picks: Nashville Predators
NHL Score Prediction: Predators 3, Blackhawks 1
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