The Nashville Predators (12-20-7) travel to face off against the Calgary Flames (18-13-7) on Saturday, January 4th. This game will be played at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary and televised on ESPN+. The Predators are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Flames are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Oilers. Puck drop is set for 10:00 ET.

Predators vs Flames

The Nashville Predators Are Coming Off A Win

The Predators improved to 12-20-7 with a 5-2 win over the Avalanche. As -1.5 goal favorites, Nashville covered the puck line, and the total of 7 goals went over the pre-game line of 6.5.

All five of Nashville’s goals came from different players, and two of them were empty-netters. The Avalanche scored first, but the Predators tied it up at 11:29 in the second period and never looked back.

The Calgary Flames Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Calgary fell to 18-13-7 after a 4-2 loss to the Oilers. The Flames were underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 6 goals fell short of the 6.5 set before the game.

After falling behind 2-0 in the first period, Calgary tied it up in the third before allowing two more goals. Anthony Mantha and Yegor Sharangovich each scored for the Flames in the loss.

Nashville Offense Breakdown

In their 5-2 win over Colorado, Nashville’s offense was highlighted by two empty-net goals, with Filip Forsberg scoring his 7th of the season and Gustav Nyquist adding his 4th. Roman Josi netted his first goal of the season on a power play, while Steven Stamkos scored his 2nd goal, also on a power play. Colton Sissons contributed with his 1st goal of the year.

The Predators took 25 shots on goal and recorded 15 giveaways. They were held scoreless in the first period before Steven Stamkos got them on the board with a power-play goal 8:31 into the second period. Nashville added two more goals in the third, including Josi’s power-play goal.

Flames Offense Breakdown

Calgary’s offense managed just two goals in their 4-2 loss to Edmonton. Anthony Mantha netted his fourth goal of the season on a power play in the second period, while Yegor Sharangovich followed with his first goal of the year in the third.

The Flames took 31 shots on goal but were held scoreless in the first period. They recorded 22 giveaways and added three assists, with Kevin Bahl earning his fifth assist of the season.

Nashville Team Defense

On the defensive side, the Predators will look to build on their previous performance, where they allowed just two goals to the Avalanche. Juuse Saros made 29 saves, posting a 93.5% save percentage. The Predators’ defense also contributed 4 takeaways, 23 hits, and 25 blocks. Both goals they allowed came late in the 2nd and 3rd periods.

Calgary Team Defense

Defensively, the Flames had a rough start, conceding the first two goals of the game. The first came just 20 seconds into the first period, and the second followed at the 11:48 mark. After tying the game at 2-2, they allowed two more goals, including a power-play goal 10:10 into the 3rd period and an empty-netter with just 3 seconds left. Dan Vladar made 27 saves with a 90% save percentage, and the defense recorded 4 takeaways and 13 hits.

Predators vs Flames Trends

• In their last five games away from home, the Predators have a straight up record of 1-4 while going 1-4 vs. the spread. The team averaged 2 goals per game in this stretch.
• Although Calgary has a straight up record of 5-5 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 7-3. The team averaged 3 goals per game in these games.
• As the betting underdog, the Flames have an puck line mark of just 4-6 in their last ten games. Calgary posted a straight up mark of 2-8 in these matchups.
• In their last three contests as the favorite, Nashville has a poor record vs the puck line going 1-2. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 2-1.

Predators vs Flames Prediction

When making a moneyline pick, my choice is the Flames to come out with a win against the Predators while playing at home. Considering the moneyline odds at -105, I’m placing my bet on the Flames to win outright.

Our projections have the Flames pulling out a win as the underdog. But if you’re not as bullish as we are on the Flames, we’d recommend at least getting a bet down on them to cover the puck line.

With an over/under line sitting at 5.5 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down on the over.

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

* 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.