NHL Pick: Both teams took to the ice yesterday to get back rolling after the 4 Nations Faceoff break, faced with hosting two of the top teams in the league in those first starts. Nashville passed their test, with a 2-1 win over Colorado, while New Jersey was stymied by a deep Stars team.
The Devils actually played a good game overall, but backup Casey DeSmith was solid in net for Dallas. New Jersey will get a shot at another backup today, or at least should as they haven’t confirmed starting goalies, but Juuse Saros got the start and the win in that Saturday matchup vs. the Avs. Saros was the clear first star of the game, and the main reason they were able to to book a victory, as the Preds were outplayed and outchanced throughout. Today, the Devils should see Justus Annunen. Advantage for the visitor.
The Devils are the better team at both ends of the rink. They arrive with a clear offensive edge, as this is a roster that can score goals (they are averaging over three goals per game on the season). That’s an area the Predators have struggled with for long stretches this season. They bring just as much as Colorado, offensively, meaning the Preds will likely be on the wrong side of the “quality chances” ledger by the time the game ends. They’ll need Annunen to pull off his best Saros imitation to keep them in this. On the defensive side, New Jersey doesn’t allow a ton of shots against…the edges stack up nicely for the visitor here. Coming off that loss vs. Dallas, we expect a strong outing vs. a team they matchup very favorably against.
We are laying juice on a road team, which isn’t a that appealing, but the line is palatable right now, as the line is between -119 and -122 (we played it at -120 at Pinnacle).
Play: We’re on the Devils at -120