Nashville Predators vs. San Jose Sharks Prediction, NHL Odds
The Predators drew first blood in the first of their two meetings in Prague, skating to a 4-1 victory on Friday afternoon. The victory is a welcome start to the campaign for the Predators, who made a speedy exit from the first round of last season’s playoffs, but closed out their preseason schedule with three straight wins. For the Sharks, Friday’s loss snaps a two-game win streak in season openers, and extends what was a dismal finish to last season, which they closed out with just three wins in their final 17 games.
In the wake of Friday’s win, the Predators have gained ground on the NHL odds. Backed by 78% of sports bettors, the Predators have improved to -186 favourites after opening at -173. The puck total is also on the rise, climbing to 6.0 after opening at 5.5, with 84% of the betting action backing the OVER.
Predators vs. Sharks NHL Betting Odds
Saturday afternoon’s matchup at O2 Arena in Prague marks the second of three schedule meetings between these teams this season. With their victory in Friday’s season opener, the Predators have now taken five straight from the Sharks. Nashville has been particularly dominant on defence during their current head-to-head win streak, limiting San Jose shooters to just four total goals, and have now surrendered more than two goals in eight straight dates with the Sharks. That stinginess has fueled a steady 4-1-0 run for the UNDER when these teams meet. However, tallying wins in games played on back-to-back nights has been a challenge for Nashville, which has not achieved the feat since December 2021.
Nashville Predators
The Predators received contributions from up and down the lineup in Friday’s win. Four different players found the back of the net, with journeyman forward Kiefer Sherwood leading the way with one goal and one assist. Veteran center Matt Duchene contributed an empty net goal, and has now recorded at least a point in nine straight regular season games, dating back to mid-April. Duchene also impressed in preseason action, racking up two goals and five assists including an epic five-point performance in a 7-1 rout of Tampa Bay. Nino Neidereiter celebrated his Predators debut with his first goal, while Eeli Tolvanen added his first marker.
San Jose Sharks
While the Sharks enjoyed plenty of opportunities, especially early on, they were unable to capitalize. San Jose outshot the Predators by a 13-11 in the opening period, with Tomas Hertl scoring to erase an early lead, much to the delight of fans of the Prague native. However, Sharks shooters were unable to solve Preds goalie Juuse Saros the rest of the way. Friday’s contest marked the debut of the Sharks’ new-look rearguard corps. In addition to Hertl’s goal, the duo of Kevin Labanc and Timo Meier combined to tally nine of the Sharks 31 shots in the contest. With star Brent Burns leaving town for Carolina in the offseason, the team filled the void with the addition of Matt Benning and Scott Harrington. However, this team still has plenty of work to do to shore up a spotty defence that has now surrender 3.76 goals per game over their past 17 regular season contests.
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