Two teams looking to build off recent success will collide when the Arizona Coyotes visit the Nashville Predators.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Arizona Coyotes (+205) vs. Nashville Predators (-255) Total: 6 (O -106, U -114)The Predators are the definition of mediocrity over the last half-decade, and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. Nashville’s still in the playoff conversation but hasn’t shown the consistency needed to qualify. Regarding the Coyotes, they’ve had their sights set on another high draft pick but have quietly been playing some solid hockey as we near the middle of February.
The visiting Coyotes have a 4-3-3 record over their last ten games, while the Preds are 6-4. This will be the second meeting of the season between the clubs, the first seeing the Preds pick up a 4-3 victory. With recent trends, it’s interesting to note that the Preds are sizable favorites on the moneyline at -255, while the Coyotes are +205.
Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Coyotes are expected to start Karel Vejmelka, while the Preds should go with Juuse Saros. The Coyotes netminder has a 14-17-5 record with a .906 save percentage, while Saros is 20-14-5 with a .919 save percentage. Although Saros has the better numbers, it’s hard to discount what the Coyotes’ goalie has done this season, especially when you factor in that Arizona is a bad club.
The Preds are the better team and should win this game outright, but there’s no value in backing them on the moneyline. As a result, targeting the Coyotes to cover the puck line has some value at -120.
Best Bet: Coyotes Puck Line +1.5 (-120)
The underlying numbers aren’t strong for the Preds or Coyotes, who both struggle to score and sit in the bottom third of the league in that category. Despite that, the first matchup saw them combine for seven goals, while tonight’s line is set at six. Over the last five Coyotes’ games, they’ve seen six or more goals scored in two, while the Preds have also seen that in a pair. Even though goals came at a high rate in their first matchup, we feel more comfortable backing the under six tonight at -114.
Best Bet: Under six (-114)
This matchup might not have much goal-scoring talent, but a few players are riding solid point streaks that warrant being targeted. The streaky Nick Schmaltz has been playing some tremendous hockey of late. The Coyotes forward leads the team with five goals and five assists over their last five games. When healthy, he’s one of the team’s top forwards and boasts a lot of value to light the lamp at +200.
Best Prop: Nick Schmaltz to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+200)
