The Nashville Predators (11-19-7) travel to face off against the Minnesota Wild (22-11-4) on Tuesday, December 31st. This game will be played at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul and televised on ESPN+. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 8:00 ET.

Predators vs Wild

The Nashville Predators Are Coming Off A Win

With a 5-2 win over the Avalanche, the Predators improved to 11-19-7. Nashville covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5.

All five of Nashville’s goals came from different players. They fell behind 1-0 in the second period before Steven Stamkos tied it up at 11:29 in the second period.

The Minnesota Wild Are Coming Off A Win

With a 2-1 overtime win against the Maple Leafs, the Wild improved to 22-11-4. Minnesota entered the game as the puck line favorites, and the total was set at 6 goals, but the combined score of 3 fell well short of that number.

Ryan Hartman put the Wild on the board first, scoring at 9:41 in the first period. The Maple Leafs responded with a goal at 19:08 in the first, but Matt Boldy secured the win for Minnesota with a goal at 2:14 in overtime.

Nashville Offense Breakdown

Nashville’s offense fired 25 shots on goal and found the net five times in their 5-2 victory over Colorado. Gustav Nyquist scored his 4th goal of the season on an empty net, while Filip Forsberg added his 7th, also on an empty net. Roman Josi picked up his 1st goal of the season on a power play, with Steven Stamkos netting his 2nd, also on a power play. Colton Sissons scored his 1st goal of the year.

The Predators were held scoreless in the first period but responded with two goals in the second and three more in the third. They recorded 15 giveaways and tallied 7 assists in the game.

Wild Offense Breakdown

In their recent game against Toronto, the Wild took 33 shots on goal but only found the net twice. Ryan Hartman scored his third goal of the season, while Matt Boldy added his sixth, securing the 2-1 overtime win.

Jared Spurgeon picked up two assists, bringing his season total to three. The Wild had 15 giveaways in the game.

Nashville Team Defense

Juuse Saros made 29 saves with a 93.5% save percentage, helping the Predators to a 5-2 win over the Avalanche. Nashville’s defense also tallied 4 takeaways and 23 hits. The Predators allowed the first goal at 17:06 in the 2nd period and another at 17:43 in the 3rd, but they kept the Avalanche scoreless in the 1st.

Minnesota Team Defense

Defensively, the Wild will look to carry their momentum from their previous game, where they allowed just one goal to Toronto. Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves with a 96.4% save percentage, and the defense added 7 takeaways and 22 hits. The only goal they allowed came on a Maple Leafs power play with 52 seconds left in the first period.

Predators vs Wild Trends

• Through their last three road contests, the Predators offense has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing an average of 5. Nashville posted an overall record of 0-3 while going 0-3 ATS.
• Across their five previous home games, Minnesota has an puck line mark of 1-4. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-4 while averaging 1 goals per game.
• In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Wild have a straight up record of 1-2 and an puck line mark of 1-2.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the favorite, the Predators have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 1-4.

Predators vs Wild Prediction

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Wild to secure a victory over the Predators at home. With the moneyline currently set at -157, I’m locking in my bet on the Wild straight-up.

For my recommended choice in the puck line, I’m leaning towards the Predators to cover. Even if the Wild secure a straight-up win, this game is expected to be tightly contested, and the Predators should cover the puck line.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 5.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.