Hurricanes vs Predators

Carolina rolls into Bridgestone riding a four-game winning streak, while Nashville has steadied at 7-3 across its last 10 but is merely on a one-game upswing after Monday’s win in St. Louis. With no players listed on the ESPN injury reports for either side and all key names active on the current rosters — including Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov for Carolina, plus Filip Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly, Steven Stamkos and Juuse Saros for Nashville — this feels like a clean talent vs. talent matchup. Historically, Aho has torched the Preds with 25 points in 24 games, while Forsberg has answered with 18 points in 24 against Carolina, but the more important edge right now is structural: the Canes bring a 21-9-2 mark with a 10-4-1 road record, top-tier shot share (3.25 GF/G and just 2.78 GA/G) and a recent 6-3 home win over these same Predators, compared with Nashville’s 13-15-4 record, middling 8-8-2 home mark and 3.52 GA/G. Even with Saros owning strong long-term numbers against Carolina, he was shelled for six goals on 38 shots in the Dec. 6 meeting, and the Canes’ depth scoring plus superior five-on-five metrics justify them as road favorites here; at -178, this is a Moneyline lean to Carolina with enough edge to grade it a B+ play, especially as a parlay anchor rather than a straight-unit bomb. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/12/2025 09:36am

The total at 6 looks vulnerable to the over when you mix Carolina’s recent form and Nashville’s suddenly explosive offense: the Canes are averaging 3.25 goals per game and just played a 6-3 track meet with these Preds, while Nashville has hung 5, 7 and 5 goals in three of its last four wins behind Forsberg’s hat trick, Stamkos’ four-goal eruption and a rejuvenated power play. Both teams come in healthy and rolling their full top-six forward groups, which matters because Forsberg has nine points in his last 10 vs Carolina and Aho plus Jarvis drive a Carolina attack that pushes pace and shots even on the road. Nashville’s season-long 3.52 GA/G and Carolina’s top-heavy but opportunistic power play suggest defensive leaks on both sides, and while Saros’ long-term numbers vs the Canes are strong, Carolina’s ability to generate volume (low-20s in shots against per game, mid-30s for) tilts this toward another high-event night where a 4-2 final at worst offers a push. With the Preds’ recent scoring surge and Carolina’s offensive depth, Over 6 at -115 grades out as a B: solid upside with reasonable push protection but not quite cheap enough to warrant an A-level conviction. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/12/2025 09:36am

On the puckline, the safer value tilts toward Nashville +1.5 at -170, even while expecting Carolina to escape with the win, because the Preds’ current profile — seven wins in their last 10, improved five-on-five play and a healthy lineup headlined by Forsberg, Stamkos, O’Reilly and Roman Josi — points to a team far more capable of hanging around than their overall 13-15-4 record suggests. Carolina’s 10-4-1 road mark and W4 streak are impressive, but three of those four wins have come via shootout, which underscores how often their games are being decided on one-goal margins; add in Nashville’s 8-8-2 home record and a strong all-time home split vs the Canes, and a tight scoreboard is more likely than a second straight three-goal Carolina blowout. With both teams healthy and Saros generally better at home despite his rough showing in Raleigh, Nashville getting the extra puck plus home ice mitigates Carolina’s edge in underlying numbers (shot differential, goals against and special teams) enough that a one-goal Canes win is the modal outcome, making Predators +1.5 at -170 a B- grade play: a modestly-priced way to back a competitive effort without fading Carolina’s overall superiority. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/12/2025 09:36am