Maple Leafs vs Predators Pick
NHL Betting action sees the Toronto Maple Leafs taking on the Nashville Predators on Tuesday February 3rd at Bridgestone Arena. Cappers Picks provides free NHL handicapping tips all season long.
NHL Predictions
Date/Time: Tuesday, Feb. 3 2015, 8 pm EST
Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville TN
Broadcast: RSN (Rogers Sportsnet in Canada)
Toronto +180, Nashville -230
Over/Under: 5.5
***2015 BONUSES***
[dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]Click here to view today’s… NHL Matchup Angles | NHL Insider Gambling Preview
Toronto’s winless skid can hit double-digits tonight in the Music City, and in a sick way, that’s what most Maple Leafs fans are probably rooting for.
If that doesn’t say enough about the Leafs 2014-15 campaign, the exact opposite is true for the home team Preds, who are looking like a major player in the Western Conference playoff race.
With a record of 32-11-6, Nashville sits first in the Central division, no easy feat in a division with such heavyweights (you heard us, St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks).
In “The Centre of the Hockey Universe” (note the Canadianized spelling of ‘centre’) the narrative is more about how team President Brendan Shanahan will blow up the roster than the on-ice performances.
True, blueline stalwart Cody Franson returns to Nashville to play his old team. Franson has been one of the very few bright spots on the Leafs’ roster this season. He is an unrestricted free agent and will command a high price, should the Leafs decide they want to keep him.
[dfads params=’groups=16&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
If there’s solace for Toronto in the present, it’s that shutdown Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne will not play in this game. Backup Carter Hutton will be between the pipes.
Yet, Nashville possesses enough youthful size and skill – to go along with the Rookie of the Year-esque effort from Filip Forsberg – to still handle the Blue and White.
Though “tanking” doesn’t always work (you can talk to the Edmonton Oilers if you want a cautionary tale) the Leafs must do something drastic to shake up a roster that doesn’t have enough moxie or charisma to win the big game.
Maybe it means moving a superstar like winger Phil Kessel or veteran Joffrey Lupul; in theory to a contender like the Predators. Yet, I don’t think Nashville would disrupt the chemistry built under head coach Peter Laviolette and a promising roster comprised of several under-25s.
Studs such as Colin Wilson, James Neal, Seth Jones, Ryan Ellis and the aforementioned Forsberg are responsible for Nashville’s success this year. Time will tell if it translates to postseason success, but it looks pretty optimistic for the Preds right now.
So, Tuesday night’s game in Nashville is a fight to stay on top for the home side, and an audition for the visitors.
4* FRee NHL Play: Nashville 3, New England 2
Some will audition to keep their jobs, some will audition to look sexy to a prospective suitor, and some may as well audition for a music career – it has to go better than hockey has to this point.
Take the UNDER
CappersPicks.com NHL Betting and gambling site provides the BEST Online hockey predictions for you to bet on for the NHL hockey season! Stick with us all season long!
[dfads params=’groups=65112&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
