Predators prediction, pick, how to watch

The Minnesota Wild have this final tune-up before the playoffs as they face the nashville predators. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with Wild-Predators prediction, pick, and how to watch.

The Predators are on the verge of being sold, and the new buyer could be getting a playoff contender. This team has some solid parts and made some trades to gain some draft capital. Still, they will be outside of the playoffs and looking in, hoping to reclaim the glory of 2018. The Wild come in off a loss to the Jets, and that Jets win clinched a playoff spot for them. The Wild will be on the road to start the playoffs, the only question is are they heading to Denver or Dallas?

Here are the Wild-Predators NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NHL Odds: Wild-Predators Odds

Minnesota Wild: +1.5 (-265)

Nashville Predators: -1.5 (+215)

Over: 5.5 (-112)

Under: 5.5 (-108)

How To Watch Wild vs. Predators

TV: BSSO, BSN

Stream: NHLPP/ESPN+

Time: 8:00 PM ET/ 5:00 PMPT

*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Wild Could Cover The Spread

The Wild will be without winder Ryan Hartman for the game against the Predators, as he was suspended one game for his hit on Lard Ehler in the game against the Jets. Still, the Wild have Kirill Kaprizov back, and he scored against the Jets, knocking off the rust from his absence. The Wild are struggling to score overall, as they sit 24th in the NHL in goals per game, with 2.91 goals. This number is heavily weighted by the top two lines. Only four guys on the Wild have over 60 points, with Kaprizov, Zuccarello, Boldy, and Eriksson Ek leading the way. Eriksson Ek is still out with a lower-body injury, so it will be up to the other three to carry the weight.

Beyond the top four, the best scoring option that is currently active is Frederick Gaudreau, who has 36 points on the season. He did tally a goal against the Blues, but that is his only point in the six games of April. His production has picked up as the season has gone along. In February he had no goals and three assists, but in March, he had five goals and five assists attempting to cover for the missing Kaprizov.

The Wild are expected to start Filip Gustavsson in goal. When the game ends and the Wild get ready for the playoffs, they should carry this man off the ice. He has shouldered the burden for the low-scoring output and is one of the main reasons that the Wild are going to the playoffs. On the season he has 2.06 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. Both are good for second in the NHL. In his last ten starts, he is 6-1-3 and had to face more than 40 shots four different times. In each of those, he had a save percentage over .920 and got the win.

Why The Predators Could Cover The Spread

The Predators have had a solid season, but they have been let down by their lack of offensive production on the season. They are currently 28th in the NHL in goals per game, with just 2.69 goals per game. Their power play has not been good either, converting on just 17.6% of their chances, good for 28th in the NHL. Like the Wild, the Predators rely heavily on a few primary scorers. They are led in points by Roman Josi. Josi had 59 points on the year, with 41 of them coming from the assist. He is a great defender, and great at setting up plays on the offensive side of the ice.

Beyond Josi is Matt Duchene. Matt Duchene is second on the team in points and leads the team in goals. Sadly for the Predators, Duchene has not played since the end of March and will not be back for this one. The same goes for Filip Forsberg, who is third on the team in points but is currently on injured reserve. Someone needs to step up and help on the offensive end. Recently that has been Tommy Novak. He has the winning goal in the shootout over the Flames and scored twice against Vegas earlier in the month. The problem is he can disappear in a game. Against Winnipeg, he failed to record a shot, and in the game, before that, he had just one.

As with the Wild, the Predators are led by the goaltender. Juuse Saros has a goals-against average of 2.69 on the season, and a save percentage of .919, which is 6th in the NHL. In his last five games, he has four games with a save percentage of .947 or better, including one shutout against the Hurricanes. His lone struggle was against the Dallas Stars, but he is not facing that level of offense tonight.

Final Wild-Predators Prediction & Pick

Both teams are not great on offense, and both will be starting wonderful goalies. This leads to a lower-scoring affair. Lower-scoring games tend to favor the underdog covering the spread. Unless this is a 4-1 game, Minnesota will cover. While possible, it is unlikely that Nashville scored four goals. Take the Wild and the Under in this one.

Final Wild-Predators Prediction & Pick: Wild +1.5 (-265) and Under 5.5 (-108)