NHL Betting – Preds, Ducks Finally Get Underway
Nashville Predators (+145) at Anaheim Ducks (-160, 5 o/u)
Given how slowly the Anaheim Ducks (46-25-11, 103 pts) began the regular season, it’s fitting they’re the last series to start in the first-round of the NHL Playoffs. They’ll look to get off to a better start in hockey’s second season, when they take on the Nashville Predators (41-27-14, 96 pts) tonight at the Honda Center (10:30 PM Eastern).
Anaheim registered just one win in the month of October, but then rounded into form to look like the Cup contender many had pegged them as at the start of the year. The turnaround was largely spurred by the defense, which finished the year surrendering a league-best 2.3 goals per game. Along with being the best in the business on defense, Anaheim also ranks first in special teams, leading the league in both powerplay and penalty kill.
On offense, the team will rely on stars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry to lead them back to hockey’s peak. Getzlaf led the Ducks with 63 points this season and Perry recorded a team-high 34 goals.
The Ducks closed out the regular season with two road wins over Colorado and Washington and won six of their last nine outings.
The Predators have scratched and clawed their way to a second-straight postseason appearance, grabbing the first Wild Card in the West. They aren’t exactly coming in hot though, losing four of the last six games.
Nashville has only won two playoff series in franchise history. This matchup against Anaheim will be physical, but that may play into the hands of the defensive-minded Preds, who were able to take two of three from the Ducks this year. (Although the teams last met on November 17.)
Anaheim is averaging 3.6 goals against in its last ten, and nine of the last ten between the Ducks and Preds have hit the over. It’s tempting to take the over again in this one, but this is the playoffs. Expect a tight-checking affair, and roll with the home team to jump out to an early lead.
Pick: Ducks (-160).
(Photo Credit: Dinur (flickr) [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/]. Photo may appear cropped.)
Zack is a tour guide whose favorite sports are football, baseball, and golf. He enjoys giving obnoxious commentary during games and hopes to some day write a book about sports. His favorite underdog victory was the Diamondbacks beating the Yankees in game 7 of the World Series.
