Predators vs Stars Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Keeping Hope Alive

The Nashville Predators travel to meet the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Monday night in the Metroplex.

The Predators picked up a 6-1 win against the struggling St. Louis Blues on Saturday, keeping hope alive for a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

The Stars are in a logjam amid the race for the Central Division title while just one point out of first place, while Dallas is tied for second place.

This is the fourth and final regular-season meeting between the two teams. Dallas has picked up wins in each of the first three outings.

Will the Stars cap off the regular-season sweep and help their own cause in the Central? Or will the Predators keep their flickering postseason hopes alive? We’ll discuss in our free NHL betting picks and predictions for Predators vs. Stars.

Predators vs Stars best odds

Predators vs Stars picks and predictions

The Nashville Predators head into play Monday with 84 points and seven games remaining in their season. Nashville is currently fifth in the Central Division, five points behind the Winnipeg Jets. They're also five points back for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Nashville showed what it's capable of when the team edged the President’s Trophy-winning Boston Bruins on the road Tuesday, winning 2-1. The club is a respectable 4-3-0 across its past seven games, but it needs to be better than that to make the postseason, and time is running out.

Facing the Dallas Stars won't help. The Stars are in a wild race for the top spot in the Central Division. The Minnesota Wild lead the division with 97 points, while the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas sit at 96. There's a razor-thin margin for the Stars too, so both teams will be desperate.

The Stars are looking to bounce back after a 5-2 setback on the road against the Avalanche, cashing the Over in the process. The Stars' offense has been strong lately, putting up three-plus goals in five of the past seven outings.

The Stars have owned the Predators, winning 4-1 during the season opener in the Music City on October 13, and then 5-1 on October 15 on home ice. The Stars also edged the Preds 3-2 on December 27.

The Predators need this win, but so do the Stars, as they can't afford to drop any points in a tight Central race. The better team is going to prevail here, and that will be the Stars. However, I expect plenty of desperation.

Don't play the Stars on the moneyline, as it will cost you about two times your potential return. I don’t like Dallas to notch a two-plus goal win, either. As such, play the Preds plus the goal and a half in a close one that perhaps even reaches overtime or a shootout.

My best bet: Predators +1.5 (-150 at BetMGM)

Predators vs Stars spread analysis

The Predators have covered two of the past three games as an underdog on the puck line, including an outright win as a +278 underdog against the Boston Bruins. Nashville is also 7-4 on the puck line in the past 11 as an underdog, too.

The Predators have managed a 3-7 record in the past 10 games against teams with a winning record, all while going 8-19 in the team's previous 27 contests against Central Division squads. The good news is the Preds are 17-8 in the past 26 games after scoring five-plus goals in their previous outing.

The Stars have won and covered the puck line in the past two games as a favorite, outscoring the Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks by a combined score of 9-3. However, the Stars have covered the puck line in just two of the past six games as a favorite.

While Dallas has won five of the past six games against the Central Division, the Stars have managed a dismal 3-8 in their past 11 games at home. The Stars are also 2-6 in the past eight games after scoring two or fewer goals in their previous outing.

This is going to be a close battle between two desperate teams. So play the Predators on the puck line as an underdog, especially based on the struggles of the Stars at home, as well as against the line as a favorite.

Predators vs Stars Over/Under analysis

It’s all about the Under lately for the Predators, which has cashed during five of Nashville's past seven games against winning teams. The Under is 4-1 during their past five contests against Central Division foes, too.

Additionally, the Under has cashed in 10 of the past 14 games for the Preds on a day of rest, and it's gone 4-1 in the past five after a victory.

For the Stars, the Under is a frequent occurrence when playing winning teams, going 33-14-4 in the past 51 games against teams with a winning mark. The Under is also 20-8-1 in the past 29 outings when the team is playing the third game of three matchups over four nights.

Juuse Saros allowed just a single goal on Saturday, and he posted a 2.64 goals-against average across 12 March starts and 13 appearances. Jake Oettinger has recorded a 2.47 GAA overall on the season, and he's allowed just eight goals on his past 108 shots faced.

Both goalies are playing well lately, which will lead to a low-scoring affair. Play the Under, and couple it with the Preds on the puck line for a nice parlay opportunity.

Predators vs Stars betting trend to know

The Predators are 7-4 in the past 11 games on the puck line as an underdog, and the Under is 4-0-1 in the previous five meetings in this series. Find more NHL betting trends for Predators vs Stars.

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