NHL bettors get to enjoy a big Central division matchup Saturday as the St. Louis Blues visit the Nashville Predators, with potential significant playoff implications
The Blues had a huge win on Thursday night, defeating the Rangers 6-2, which ended their four-game losing streak.
The Predators are starting to heat up, winners of their last three games and quickly catching up to the Blues. See who our Blues vs. Predators NHL picks and predictions like for this March 12 matinee.
Blues vs Predators odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Predators opened up as home favorites at -130. The line moved to -125, but went right back to -130. The total opened up at 5.5 and hasn’t had any movement.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Blues vs Predators predictions
Predictions made on 3/11/2022 at 9:35 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2021-22 NHL season, here are two of the best bonuses available:
USA: New user big boost: Bet $1 on any NHL moneyline at DraftKings and get $150 in free bets if your team wins! Sign Up Now
Canada: Bet on any team to win a game involving a Canadian team at Betway — if they jump out to a 2-0 lead, you get paid out as a winner, regardless of the final result! Claim Now
Blues vs Predators game info
• Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
• Date: Saturday, March 12, 2022
• Puck drop: 12:30 p.m. ET
• TV: Sportsnet
Blues vs Predators betting preview
Key injuries
Blues: Oskar Sundqvist F (Questionable), Pavel Buchnevich F (Questionable), Tyler Bozak F (Questionable), Scott Perunovich D (Out).
Predators: Mark Borowiecki D (Questionable).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Blues vs Predators head-to-head record
Blues: 1-3-2 SU, 16 goals for.
Predators: 5-1-0 SU, 19 goals for.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 39-9-6 in the last 51 meetings in Nashville. Find more NHL betting trends for Blues vs. Predators.
Blues vs Predators picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
The St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators are set to meet for the first time since January 17, when the Blues got the best of the Preds, winning by a score of 5-3 in St. Louis.
The Blues are starting to feel Nashville tightening the gap in the standings and their four-game losing streak was a minor setback. They had a huge win on Thursday night against the New York Rangers to end the streak and finally get back in the win column.
During their losing streak, their offense was nonexistent. They only scored seven goals in that four-game span, but then they exploded on Thursday, scoring six goals on the Rangers and forcing them to pull the best goalie in the league, Igor Shesterkin.
As far as the season goes, the Blues are a Top-5 offense in the NHL, averaging 3.49 goals per game. Jordan Kyrou has had a breakout season, the 23-year-old currently leads the team in scoring with 22 goals and 33 assists, for 55 points in 53 games. A lot of the Blues offensive production comes on the power play, which is ranked third in the league, converting on 25.3% of their opportunities.
Nashville’s power play unit is also in the Top 10, as it scores 24.1% of the time. The Preds have also found success in the offensive end, ranking 13th in production, averaging 3.12 gpg. Nashville has three players that are scoring more than a point per game. Roman Josi (61 in 55), Matt Duchene (54 in 53) and Filip Forsberg (49 in 44) are leading the way for the Preds.
Their offense is completely buzzing right now as they have scored 14 goals in their last three games, which have all been victories. They are starting to come together in the most important time of the year and are looking like a playoff hockey team.
Both teams have good goaltending: Ville Husso for the Blues, who has a 2.16 goals against average, and Juuse Saros with a 2.38 GAA. But Saros has been a top goalie all year, skating to a 23.8 goals saved above expected.
There is no doubt that the Preds have the edge in goal and they have been the better team as of late, while also having one of the best home-ice advantages in the league. This is their game to lose.
Prediction: Predators ML -130
Over/Under analysis
The Blues have not played their best stretch of hockey, but one thing that remains constant is the play of their goalie, Ville Husso. He is coming off of a very strong performance, stopping 27 of 29 shots he faced in a 6-2 win against the Rangers.
Husso’s been phenomenal this season, posting a record of 14-4-3 with a .930 save percentage. His team does a strong job in front of him, as they limit their opponents to 31.3 shots against per game and, as a team, they only allow 2.72 gpg.
As good as Husso has been for the Blues, Juuse Saros has been even better for the Preds. He’s entered the discussion for a potential winner of this year's Vezina trophy. Saros is 28-17-3 on the season with a .925 save percentage. Nashville’s team defense is actually in the same rank as the Blues as they also give up 2.72 gpg.
Both of these teams rely on their goaltending to lead them to success, and with this game having a ton of implications for the standings, they should both be on their best.
Prediction: Under 5.5 +105
Best bet
Nashville is one of the better home-ice teams in the league. It was won its last two home games and is 17-10-0 on the season at Bridgestone Arena.
As the regular season winds down, divisional matchups always tend to be played tighter, especially when the two teams are close to each other in the standings. Only three points separate these two sides, so both rooms know how important this game is. They are both Top-10 defenses in the league with Top-10 goalies that are performing at their best.
The Blues haven’t had much success in their previous trips to Nashville, as they are 3-13 in their last 16 games at Bridgestone Arena. Based on the Preds’ recent success at home, I think they will be able to lock down the Blues, who have only won one out of their last five games. Juuse Saros will be there to shut the door and keep this game low-scoring. I’m going with the Under.
Pick: Under 5.5 +105
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NHL Blues vs. Predators picks, you could win $26.27 on a $10 bet?
Use our NHL parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
