NHL
Jeremy Perry
October 9, 2018

Calgary Flames vs. Nashville Predators: NHL Odds, Prediction

The Predators enter the 2018-19 season with legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations. The first step towards achieving that goal is to finish as high as possible in the Western Conference standings and lock up home ice advantage for the playoffs. The long road towards a championship continues at home against a Calgary side that split its first two games in a home-and-home with the Vancouver Canucks.

NHL Odds And Betting Analysis

The visiting teams opened the year with some excellent numbers including a 17-11-2-1 record through the first 31 contests. The Flames were excellent on the road a year ago when they posted a 20-15-6 record as the visiting team. Road underdogs went 8-6-2-1 through the first 17 games of this season.

Meanwhile, an outstanding home record helped propel Nashville to the best record in the Western Conference a year ago. The Predators went 28-9-4 as the host side. Nashville will look to pick up from where it left off with a chance to move to 3-0 to open the year. The Predators went 1-1-1 against Calgary last season.

Sports Interaction is currently listing the Predators as -160 favorites in this matchup.

Calgary Flames

After a 5-2 loss to Vancouver to open the year, the Flames offense clicked in a 7-4 win to take the second half of the home-and-home. The top line of Johnny Gaudreau, Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan combined for eight points while Matthew Tkachuk chipped in four assists. Calgary added Lindholm, James Neal and Derek Ryan in a bid to improve their scoring numbers this season. The early results have certainly looked good.

Calgary will need to tighten up in its own end against a talented Nashville side on Tuesday. Mike Smith also needs to be better after he allowed eight goals to the Canucks in his first two starts of the season.

Nashville Predators

The Predators will turn back to Pekka Rinne for their home opener on Tuesday. Rinne turned aside 34 of the 36 shots he faced in a 3-2 win over the Rangers to open the year before Juuse Saros got the start in a 4-3 win over the Islanders. Rinne won the Vezina last season when he went 42-13-4 with a 2.31 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. There is no reason to think he will slow down this season even at 35 years old.

The Nashville offense has clicked early on with six different players registering at least a goal in the first two games. The Predators have the firepower to compete with any team in the NHL. If they play to their potential on Tuesday night, Nashville should be able to secure a comfortable win in its home opener.