Anaheim Ducks vs Nashville Predators Betting Picks

The good news for the Ducks is that they have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The bad news is they potentially could draw the powerhouse Avalanche in the first round. Anaheim needs to beat Nashville on the road here while also hoping the Oilers and Kings lose their games today. The Anaheim-Nashville puck drops an hour before the Los Angeles-Calgary and Vancouver-Edmonton games, so the Ducks will be fully focused on doing their part. The Predators still could be reeling from a 3-2 home loss to the Sharks this past Monday that eliminated Nashville from playoff contention. The Predators had beaten the Sharks 15 consecutive times and were a $1.54 favorite to do it again. The Predators have managed just five goals in their last three games. They rank 21st in scoring and 25th defensively. The Ducks rank 13th in scoring and have far more incentive to win. Take the Ducks. 

Nashville is fighting for a wild-card spot in the West, while Anaheim is battling the Oilers for first in the Pacific Division. The Predators don't want to get in an up-and-down skating race with the Ducks, having lost to the Kings, 3-2, in a shootout last night. Not only is Nashville playing without rest, but it is in action for the fourth time in six days. Nashville has managed just two goals in regulation during each of the past five times it has played in the second of back-to-back games. The Predators have been held to two or fewer goals in four of their last six games. The Ducks are in stop-the-pain mode, having lost five in a row. They are averaging 2.8 goals a game during these past five games. Anaheim has been without Cutter Gauthier for the past three games due to an upper-body injury. Gauthier is the Ducks' leading points producer and goals leader with 38. He is not likely to play today. Take the UNDER. 

The Predators went UNDER in 60 percent of their games last season. That UNDER trend has continued this season as five of Nashville's six games have gone below the total. Lack of scoring from their elite offensive players has contributed to the Predators' ranking 23rd in scoring and 28th on the power play. Filip Forsberg and Steven Stamkos only have one goal each. Jonathan Marchessault, who is tied for the team points lead for Nashville, is questionable with a lower-body injury. Marchessault has just one goal, too, if you discount an empty-netter he scored. The Ducks were another UNDER team last season, going below the total in 54 percent of their games. Anaheim has only scored one goal in each of its past two games, a 2-1 road loss to the Blackhawks this past Sunday and a 4-1 home loss to the Hurricanes—both of those games stayed UNDER. The Ducks scored their lone goal against the Blackhawks with 36 seconds left in regulation, pulling their goalie for an extra skater. The Ducks are in transition and trying to pick up the system of the new coach, Joel Quenneville. They have only scored more than one goal in two of their five games. Take the UNDER.

Nashville has won four in a row, part of a 7-4 run. During those 11 games, they've won three times as an underdog and have won their last four as a favorite. The Predators come off a 3-2 win at San Jose, dominating special teams play, going two for five on the power play and two for two on the penalty kill. Punchless Anaheim's offense is 29th in goals scored (2.65 per game), 31st on the power play, and 29th in shooting percentage. The defense is 28th in penalty killing and 21st in goals surrendered. The Ducks are on a 3-7 slide. Nashville is working on two days of rest while Anaheim is working on just one day, so back the visitors. Play Nashville.