Sharks vs. Predators Odds
| Sharks Odds | +165 |
| Predators Odds | -205 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 (-120 / +100) |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Pacific Division's seventh-place San Jose Sharks travel to Nashville to take on the Central Division's fourth-place Predators in Tuesday’s NHL action.
This is the third meeting of the season between these teams, with the Predators winning the first two matchups.
So, will Nashville take care of business again or can San Jose pull off the road upset in this latest contest.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks enter this game amidst a six-game losing streak following Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Of those six losses, five have occurred in regulation.
San Jose continues to barrel-roll down the standings as the season winds down, which should not come as much of a surprise. The Sharks rank just 26th in 5-on-5 expected goals for per 60 minutes and 24th in 5-on-5 xGA per 60 minutes this season.
James Reimer is the projected starting goaltender for San Jose and will look to break his slide. Reimer has lost three consecutive starts, posting a mere 0.890 save percentage during that stretch.
Losing his only start against Nashville this season back in October, I don’t see any reason to expect a different result this time around. The Sharks aren’t playing for anything, so I don’t expect much motivation or energy from this group on the road amidst this slide.
Nashville Predators
The Predators enter this game following two consecutive losses in matchups with the Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins.
However, the Sharks are obviously not anywhere near those teams' level, so this could be a nice bounce-back spot for the Predators on home ice.
Bridgestone Arena is a tough rink to play in as an inferior team, as Nashville is 6-1 over its last seven home games when priced as the favorite. Five of those six wins occurred in regulation, as the Predators have played some great hockey the last month.
Juuse Saros is the projected starting goaltender and shouldn’t struggle against a poor San Jose lineup. Saros boasts a 0.921 save percentage and ranks 11th among starting goaltenders in 5-on-5 goals saved above expected per 60 minutes this season.
Saros' numbers are even better on home ice, as he’s 22-11 overall with a remarkable 0.931 save percentage. This is bad news for a San Jose team that has had absolutely no answer for Saros this season, as he’s 2-0 against it with an absurd 0.980 save percentage.
Sharks vs. Predators Pick
While Saros has been battling an illness, reports indicate he should be good to go. If he starts, I feel confident the Predators should handle the Sharks with relative ease as have already twice this season.
Not only will Nashville have home-ice advantage, but will sport the better goaltender and is superior in both xGF and xGA in this meeting.
Pick: Nashville 3-Way ML (-120 | Play up to -135)
