NHL Best Bets: Predators vs. Senators Game Picks

The streaking Nashville Predators will pay a visit to the Ottawa Senators tonight from the Canadian Tire Centre, looking to add to their win streak.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Nashville Predators (-105) vs. Ottawa Senators (-114) Total: 6 (O -124, U +102)

The Predators are trying to get back in the playoff picture in the Western Conference. They’re on the right track, having won three straight games and owning a 6-2-2 record over their last ten. The Sens are slightly worse over that stretch of games, posting a 5-4-1 record. Earlier this season, the Sens outlasted the Preds 3-2 on the road. 

Three points in the standings separate these teams, and if you look at their underlying numbers, they paint a similar picture. Goal scoring hasn’t been a strength of either team, and they’ve also been somewhat mediocre in terms of goals allowed. The Senators are listed as slight home favorites in this matchup at -114, while the Preds are listed at -105. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Predators will continue riding Juuse Saros while the Senators do the same with Cam Talbot. The Preds netminder has a 14-10-5 record with a .918 save percentage and a prime reason they’ve been finding success. Talbot has a 10-10-1 record with a .906 save percentage for Ottawa. 

Nashville has been playing better to kick off the new year, and even though Ottawa handled them in their first matchup, there’s likely some value here in backing the visitors. With the Preds’ juicy moneyline price hovering around plus-money territory at -105, that’s the direction bettors should gravitate towards.

Best Bet: Predators moneyline (-105) 

Goal scoring hasn’t been a strength of the Sens or Preds, leading to an unsurprising total set at six, with the over priced at -124 and the under sitting at +102. Their first matchup saw just five goals scored. The Preds have seen six or more goals scored in four of their last five, compared to the Sens seeing that in three of their previous five. With recent trends, there’s likely some value in expecting a sneaky high-scoring affair, so target the over at -124. 

Best Bet: Over 6 (-124) 

Many players are currently finding offensive success for both teams, but one has stuck out for the Nashville Predators. Star winger Filip Forsberg has consistently found the back of the net over the last month, leading the team in scoring over their last five games with five goals and three assists. The Sens have been a middle-of-the-road team in goals allowed per game, while the Preds have found offensive success over their recent stretch of play. Forsberg has been the teams leading goal scorer, and there’s a lot of value in backing him to light the lamp at +210. 

Best Prop: Filip Forsberg to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+210)