Tip: Nashville Predators face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Bridgestone Arena!

Tampa Bay Lightning comes off a sizzling fresh victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins, where Lightning emerged with a 3-1 win. The task ahead in Tennessee is a Nashville Predators team in top form, boasting eight wins in their last ten games and underlying statistics that rank among the best in the NHL. Let's take a closer look at what we can expect from the game!

Predators' Great Form is No Fluke

Nashville Predators have been one of the positive surprises of the season for me. Ahead of the season, there were significant changes in the squad, and I feared that all these changes would have a major negative impact on the team. In reality, the opposite has happened. Since last season, experienced names such as Ryan Johansen, Mikael Granlund, Mattias Ekholm, Nino Niederreiter, Tanner Jeannot, and Matt Duchene have departed. The replacements at the start of the season, Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist, did not seem sufficient to fill the gaps. However, both Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist, along with Filip Forsberg, who make up the Predators' first line, have proven to be incredibly effective, scoring a combined 28 goals. Players like Luke Evangelista and Colton Sissons have provided offensive threats behind the first line, and when Tomas Novak returns from injury, Nashville has another fine forward to utilize in the offense. We must also not forget Roman Josi, who continues to be a top defenseman in the NHL this season, delivering 5+13 in 25 games.

A closer look at the underlying numbers shows that Nashville currently has the fifth-best xGF% in the league. In short, the Predators have been adept at creating quality scoring chances while allowing fewer xGA than the league average (naturalstattrick). The only teams outperforming Nashville this season in this regard are the Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, and Florida Panthers. Good company to be in.

Can Tampa Stand the Test?

Tampa Bay Lightning is coming off a comfortable 3-1 victory overnight after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was their second consecutive win, somewhat unexpectedly keeping a clean sheet in the 4-0 victory against the Dallas Stars in the game before. I find it unexpected because they haven't had an impressive defense this season. They were certainly seeking revenge after losing 8-1 to the Stars in the previous match, but as I noted in my betting tip before that match, only the San Jose Sharks had conceded more goals. The return of Andrei Vasilevskiy has undoubtedly stabilized Lightning's defense and created a familiar sense of security. He was in goal against the Penguins, so it's not unreasonable to assume that Jonas Johansson will be trusted against Nashville Predators.

Betting Tip and Conclusion

Several aspects lead me to the conclusion that I lean towards betting on Nashville Predators in this match. To begin with, Lightning played a match as recently as yesterday, and it is reasonable to assume that Jonas Johansson will face the Predators. On the road, Lightning has found it significantly harder to assert themselves, only managing to win four games all season. Nashville, on the other hand, has proven to be a very capable team this season. Not least, the first line with Forsberg, O'Reilly, and Nyquist looks hot, and the underlying numbers suggest that the Predators are doing a lot right. The home team also comes with good form and high confidence into the game, with eight wins in their last ten games, including against several strong teams.

I also think that the odds are quite high considering that Predators on home ice recently closed with lower or similar odds against teams like Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets, and Calgary Flames, where none of them were back-to-back games before the match. You see where this is going; we should bet on Nashville Predators!

My betting tip is Nashville Predators draw no bet (money back in case of a draw) @ 1.96 at Unibet!