Nashville Predators @ Ottawa Senators - December 7, 2024

Ah, game day is finally here! Nothing gets my blood pumping quite like a showdown between two teams looking for that elusive victory. The Ottawa Senators are set to host the Nashville Predators at Canadian Tire Centre, and I can feel the excitement in the air—let’s dive into what we can expect from this match-up!

The odds opened up with Nashville slightly favored at -102, but given their recent form, it seems a bit like throwing good money after bad. The Predators have been struggling lately, losing six straight games and scoring only 2.3 goals per game on average this season. Their power play isn’t exactly lighting the lamp either; they’re managing just over half a goal on power plays with a conversion rate of around 19%. Not exactly championship-caliber numbers if you ask me!

On the flip side, we’ve got the Senators who recently pulled off a gritty win against the Red Wings, which must’ve felt like a breath of fresh air after battling through some tough times themselves. Averaging 3.1 goals per game and boasting an impressive power play percentage of around 26%, Ottawa seems to be finding their rhythm. They’re getting more shots off (about 31 per game) and capitalizing on opportunities better than Nashville right now.

Defensively, both teams show some signs of life—Nashville has managed an impressive save percentage of around 89.5%, while Ottawa’s sitting at about 88.3%. But let’s not kid ourselves; if Ottawa can get their offense rolling early in this match, they could put serious pressure on Nashville’s defense—which has looked shaky as of late.

What does all this mean for our predictions? I’m feeling pretty confident that Ottawa is going to take home the W tonight! Their offense is clicking better than Nashville’s right now, plus they have home-ice advantage—a crucial factor in any NHL matchup. My gut tells me that we’ll see them outplay the Predators and capitalize on defensive mistakes.

Now onto covering that spread: because Ottawa should edge out Nashville for the win as underdogs based on current momentum and performance metrics, they will cover that spread too! However, don’t expect fireworks in terms of scoring; I anticipate a tight contest where defense plays a major role.

Given both teams’ recent trends toward lower scoring (Nashville’s last five games went UNDER), I’m inclined to say we’re looking at an UNDER result tonight as well. So grab your lucky jersey—yes, it’s time to break it out again—and let’s cheer for Ottawa while keeping those expectations reasonable when it comes to total goals!

In conclusion: I’m betting on Ottawa for the win! They cover that spread effortlessly while maintaining solid defensive play resulting in another UNDER performance overall. Let’s go Sens!