We have a special “out the door” pick here on Pick The Winner for Thursday in the NHL.
============================================
Nashville Predators @ San Jose Sharks – PREDS BY PUCKLINE (+123)
(Note: I’m risking 1 unit to win 1.23 units)
Nashville has won three straight games, including their latest a 5-4 shootout victory in Phoenix on Monday night. The Predators are 41-21-7 on the season, and a very respectable 18-13-2 on the road. San Jose is coming off a OT loss in Calgary on Tuesday, and have lost 6 of their last 7 games. The lone victory was a 3-2 win over the Oilers on Monday. The Sharks have fallen way off after just 3 victories in their last 15 games. San Jose is 34-25-10 on the season and 19-11-3 at home. The 78 points put the Sharks in 9th place in the Western Conference. Over their last 10 games the Sharks are averaging just 1.70 goals per game (and 2.70 against).
The Preds are averaging 3.40 goals per game in their last 10 and 2.40 against. These two teams have met three times this season, with the Predators winning 2 of the 3. The Sharks won the first meeting in October 3-1, then the Predators went on to win 4-3 in San Jose in November and more recently 6-2 at home at the end of February. Note that the Predators are 25-7 in their last 32 vs Western Conference opponents while the Sharks are just 1-10 in their last 11 vs Western Conference teams. Also note that Nashville is 14-3 in their last 17 vs a team with a losing record. The Sharks aren’t playing good hockey lately, while the Predators have been playing stellar for a while now. Nashville as a decent size underdog here looks like a great bet. Take the Preds to win by puckline.
===========================================
Good luck and let’s make up for last night’s small loss. Next stop: The Rock for the “Calder Clash”!
