After squeezing out a Game 1 win to open their playoff run, the Vancouver Canucks look to hold serve when they host the Nashville Predators in Game 2 tonight.
The Predators, save for a late third-period lapse where they allowed two goals in a 12-second span to watch their lead evaporate, hung tough all evening. Still, oddsmakers have the visitors marked as underdogs in the NHL odds.
Read below for my free Predators vs. Canucks predictions and NHL picks for Tuesday, April 23.
Predators vs Canucks prediction
My best bet
Over 5.5 (-110 at Sports Interaction)
My analysis
A Game 1 loss in a playoff series has been death for the Nashville Predators. They’ve yet to win a seven-game series in their franchise history when dropping the opener, going 0-12 all time. But there’s a lot to like about Nashville’s Game 1 effort, minus the end result.
The Predators built a 1-0 lead after the first period, and held a 2-1 lead heading into the third. They went 1-for-4 on the power play while holding the Vancouver Canucks to two power-play opportunities and keeping them off the scoresheet with the man advantage.
Vancouver wasn’t one of the high-frequency shot teams in the league (28.3 per game), but Nashville still limited them to 21 shots.
For the Canucks, an outstanding performance from its non-superstars was the deciding factor in Game 1. Dakota Johnson tallied twice, including the empty-netter to ice it, while Pius Suter and Elias Lindholm had the other goals.
Brock Boeser, J.T. Miller, and Elias Pettersson — who combined for 110 goals on the year with each eclipsing the 30-goal plateau — failed to light the lamp, though they did pick up a pair of points between them. Quinn Hughes, who led all defensemen in scoring this season, had a pair of assists in the win.
Vancouver was also solid defensively in front of Thatcher Demko, who faced just 22 shots all game, making 20 saves in his third start since returning from a lengthy injury.
Make it five straight wins for Vancouver over Nashville overall, with the ‘Nucks winning just two of those as the betting favorite. Still, I’m wary of picking Vancouver to win outright in Game 2 because Nashville’s previous effort is replicable, and minus a 12-second lapse, Game 1 could have had a very different outcome.
Instead, let’s target the total, which has now gone Over in three straight head-to-heads and seven times in the last eight matchups. Of the nine players on both sides that topped at least 20 goals in the regular season, only Ryan O’Reilly tallied a goal in Game 1. Expect the stars to come out Tuesday night, and the Over to reign supreme again in Game 2.
Predators vs Canucks same-game parlay (SGP)
Over 5.5
J.T. Miller anytime goal
Filip Forsberg anytime goal
Someone from Vancouver’s top three goal-scorers surely will crack the scoresheet, it’s just a matter of who. The combination of Boeser, Pettersson and J.T. Miller have had at least a goal in nine of the last 11 games when all three were in the lineup.
An assist against Nashville kept Miller’s point streak alive, now at 12 games straight dating back to the regular season, so he’s the hottest hand and my pick on Tuesday. He was also the only one of that trio not to record a shot on goal, the first time that’s happened to Miller since January 24.
Filip Forsberg had an assist as well in Game 1, giving him points in 15 of his last 18 contests, a number that includes 15 goals. That was part of a career-best 48-goal campaign. If the Preds want to escape Vancouver tied at a game apiece, it’s highly likely Forsberg will need to perform at peak levels to give them a chance.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Predators vs Canucks odds
Predators vs Canucks live odds
Predators vs Canucks opening odds
- Puck line: Nashville +1.5 | Vancouver -1.5
- Moneyline: Nashville +141 | Vancouver -160
- Over/Under: Over 5.5 | Under 5.5
Predators vs Canucks moneyline and Over/Under analysis
- Vancouver has won three straight vs. Nashville on home ice.
- The Predators are 2-5 in their last seven road games.
- The Canucks have hit the Over in five of its last seven games.
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Predators vs Canucks trend
Nine of the last 10 games between these two teams at Rogers Arena have gone Over the total. Find more NHL betting trends for Predators vs. Canucks.
Predators vs Canucks game info
| Location: | Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC |
| Date: | Tuesday, 4-23-2024 |
| Puck drop: | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN2, Sportsnet |
Predators vs Canucks latest injuries
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