Predators vs. Flyers prediction, odds, pick, how to watch

Unexpectedly, the Predators and Flyers are two of the hottest teams in the league. Let's try to predict this matchup.

You would have never believed that two of the hottest teams in the league in December were the Nashville Predators and Philadelphia Flyers. Nevertheless, here we are. The two juggernauts met on December 12th, with the Predators taking a hard-fought 3-2 overtime victory. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Predators-Flyers prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

The Predators came back down to earth on Tuesday, losing 5-2 to the Vancouver Canucks. The defense failed to show up in front of Juuse Saros, as he allowed five goals on 24 shots and was pulled in the third period. The loss didn't raise a lot of panic, as the Predators had won four consecutive games before Tuesday's game. Sitting out Saros for a large portion of the third period is a good indicator that the Predators will be going back with their starter in this game. They may also get a boost to their lineup in the form of Kiefer Sherwood, who missed the last three games but participated in morning skate on Tuesday.

While the Predators failed to build on their momentum on Tuesday, the Flyers did the opposite. They had a rivalry game against the New Jersey Devils with implications in the Metropolitan division standings. The Flyers squeaked out a 3-2 overtime win, standing firm in second place in the division. Samuel Ersson continued his hot streak, stopping 24 shots to extend his record to 7-0-1 over the last eight games. Carter Hart has been sidelined with an illness, and his return to the lineup is unknown. As long as Ersson is at this level, Hart can take as much time as he wants.

Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NHL Odds: Predators-Flyers Odds

Nashville Predators: +1.5 (-250) ML (+100)

Philadelphia Flyers: -1.5 (+202) ML (-120)

Over: 5.5 (-134)

Under: 5.5 (+110)

How to Watch Predators vs. Flyers

Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT

TV: Bally Sports, NBCS

Why The Predators Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Predators have been in such good form that you can't imagine losing two games in a row. The last time that occurred was November 30th-December 2nd. Since then, they have a 7-2-0 record. That run includes a victory over the Flyers when they took a close 3-2 win in overtime. The Predators have won two games in a row over the Flyers, including another overtime victory last February.

Samuel Ersson has never had this kind of workload in the NHL. He's started four consecutive games and is trending for a fifth on Thursday night if Hart isn't healthy. Ersson has been good, boasting a 7-0-1 record over his last eight games, including a 32-save shutout two games ago. However, the rookie is bound to have a setback, and his one overtime loss was against these same Preds. The Predators' offense scores 3.13 goals per game and 11 in their last three. Ersson has shut down some elite offenses, but those games are piling up. If Hart returns tonight, the Predators will be difficult to knock the rust off against.

Juuse Saros had a rough night on Tuesday, allowing five goals on 24 shots. While it may be unlikely that the Preds could lose two in a row, it's even more improbable that Saros would have two consecutive bad starts. In the December 12th matchup, our betting preview said that it'd be hard not to take Saros to outduel Ersson in the goaltending matchup, and that's what happened. However, the final pick ended up being the Flyers. If you don't want to make the same mistake twice, take the Predators to win again on Thursday.

Why The Flyers Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Flyers made a statement on Tuesday night when they beat the New Jersey Devils on the road. They had won six of their last seven and were facing a hungry Devils team trying to get back into a playoff spot. The Devils were on a hot streak, and no one would have blamed the Flyers if they took a loss. However, they dug deep and took a 3-2 overtime victory. This is a staple of John Tortorella-led teams. They dig deep and win games other teams probably wouldn't have had a chance in.

Everything leans toward the Predators in this matchup. Past success against each other, the Preds are coming off a disappointing loss, and Juuse Saros is itching to get back on track. However, these Flyers are different, and they won't want to lose two games in a row to the Predators. Tortorella will have the guys ready to return the favor and beat the Predators after losing to them in Nashville just over a week ago.

Final Predators-Flyers Prediction & Pick

The Predators section mentioned that we shouldn't make the same mistake twice when betting on this game. In their matchup on December 12th, we were afraid to bet against Juuse Saros to outduel Ersson, and we did it anyway. The Predators went on to win 3-2 in overtime, with Saros tallying 37 saves. The Predators won two games after that but lost to the Canucks on Tuesday night. The Flyers are riding the high of a 7-0-2 run and are showing no signs of slowing down at home. We'll ignore the warning, taking the Flyers to return the favor and split the season series with the Predators.

Final Predators-Flyers Prediction & Pick: Flyers ML (-120)