Game 1 of the best of 7 series in the National Hockey League; the Nashville Predators will take on the St. Louis Blues. The first two games will be played in St. Louis, before it shifts to Nashville. The Predators were the 8th seed in the West, and swept the top seeded Chicago Blackhawks in the first round.
The St. Louis Blues finished third place in the Central Division behind Chicago and Minnesota. The Blues eliminated the Wild with four wins in five games. St. Louis won two of those games in overtime over Minnesota. The St. Louis Blues are favorites in this game. The Blues are listed at -115 over the Nashville Predators. Find out more about the updated NHL betting odds here.
NHL Free Picks For The Nashville Predators Vs St. Louis Blues Match
When: Wednesday April 26th, 2017; 7:00pm CT
Where: Scottrade Center; St. Louis, MO
TV: NBCSN, CBC, TVAS
Stream Option: NHL.TV
Odds: St. Louis Blues -1½ (+250)
Why Bet on Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators did quick and easy work over the top seeded Chicago Blackhawks. The Predators finished off the series with a 4-1 win last Thursday over the Blackhawks. In the four games, the Predators allowed just three goals in the series. During the regular season, the Predators allowed 2.7 goals per game.
The offensive for Nashville scored 2.9 goals per game. That ranks 11th in the league. Ryan Johansen, the top center for the Predators led the team during the regular season. He scored just 14 goals, but dished out a team high 47 assists. The Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne is red hot, outscoring every Blackhawks player.
Why Bet on St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues blew a 3-1 lead in the Game 4 on Saturday, but scored an overtime goal to move to the second round. The Blues reached the Western Conference Finals a season ago; only to fall to the San Jose Sharks. The Blues scored 2.8 goals per game, and allowed 2.6 in the regular season.
Vladimir Tarasenko is having his best season in the National Hockey League. Tarasenko led the team with 39 goals, and also dished out 36 assists. Tarasenko scored just one goal in the series against Minnesota. Jake Allen was the key for the Blues, as he held the Wild to just 8 goals in 5 games, including 3 games with just 1 goal.
Expert Score & Prediction
The opening game of a 7 game series is always interesting. Both teams are looking to feel the other out and see what they are going to see all week. The St. Louis Blues have won four out of five, and were one of the hottest teams as the regular season came to an end. The Predators have all that momentum after sweeping the Blackhawks.
Jake Allen and Pekka Rinne were both fantastic. The team that scores 3 goals in this game is going to win. Look for the home ice to keep the first game. The final bet for this game on Wednesday is the St. Louis Blues -115 over the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of the second round.
