Mammoth vs Predators

Utah enters Bridgestone riding a four-game winning streak and just two losses in January, including a 5-4 OT win over Philadelphia on Wednesday, while Nashville just snapped a two-game skid with a five-goal comeback against Ottawa to close a homestand on a high. nhl.com Even with that Mammoth surge, the injury sheet tilts this matchup: Utah remains without key center Logan Cooley for at least eight weeks lower-body, depth forward Alex Kerfoot for 8–10 weeks core muscle, and has already missed stretches from Olli Maatta, thinning both its top-six and defensive stability. espn.com Nashville is banged up too Adam Wilsby and Jeremy Lauzon out long term, Justin Barron and Ozzy Wiesblatt sidelined, but its primary drivers — Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly, Steven Stamkos and Juuse Saros — are healthy and producing. nhl.com Head-to-head, the Predators are 3-1-1 all-time against Utah, including December’s 4-3 road win where Stamkos posted three points two third-period goals and Utah’s October 3-2 OT win in Nashville behind Dylan Guenther’s overtime winner and a multi-point night for their young core. nhl.com ESPN’s active rosters confirm those same names driving each club — Keller, Schmaltz, Guenther and Vejmelka for Utah, versus Josi, Forsberg, O’Reilly, Stamkos and Saros for Nashville — and both teams sit in the heart of the Western wildcard race past the 40-game mark, making this a classic four-point swing spot with playoff implications. espn.com With Utah’s top play-driving center out, Nashville’s historically strong record in the series, and home ice at even-money pricing, I grade Predators +100 on the moneyline as a B+ pick: not a lock, but a solid combination of moderate edge and attractive return for a tightly lined game. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 24/01/2026 09:22

Recent form points to goals: Utah’s four-game win streak has featured high-event hockey, capped by that 5-4 OT victory over the Flyers, and their top offensive trio of Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz and Dylan Guenther continues to pace the attack with strong point totals despite Cooley’s absence. Nashville has quietly turned into a scoring machine when its veteran core rolls — Ryan O’Reilly had a four-point night in a 7-3 win at Colorado, and the Predators have multiple recent games with five or more goals scored, while their last outing produced five unanswered in a comeback against Ottawa. The injuries that matter for the total skew toward offense: Utah loses finishing talent in Cooley and Kerfoot, but still dresses three dangerous scoring lines, while Nashville’s blue line is thinned by long-term absences Wilsby, Lauzon, Barron that have contributed to some lopsided scorelines even with Saros in net. Although Utah has been one of the league’s better shot-suppression teams overall this season, allowing under three goals per game and among the fewest shots against, that structure already gave up 3 and 4 goals respectively in the first two meetings with Nashville 3-2 OT Mammoth win, 4-3 Predators win. With both power plays loaded with elite shooters and recent matchups landing on 5 and 7 goals, Over 6 at -125 earns a B: the price is a bit heavy, but the combination of offensive form, defensive injuries and series history still leans to a scoreline that reaches at least six with a strong chance to push past it. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 24/01/2026 09:22

Given how these teams have played each other, the puckline profile is clear: three recent meetings have all been decided by a single goal — a 3-2 Utah OT win in Nashville, a 4-3 Predators win in Salt Lake driven by Stamkos’ third-period brace, and a 4-3 Nashville shootout win over Utah’s predecessor club last spring. Utah’s current four-game streak and strong January form make a multi-goal road blowout less likely than another tight contest, especially with Cooley and Kerfoot still sidelined and Andre Tourigny leaning on depth scoring and structure to grind out results rather than run-and-gun separation. Nashville, meanwhile, has oscillated between explosive wins and ugly defensive outings thanks to blue-line injuries, but with Saros starting most key home dates and a veteran core that thrives in one-score, playoff-style games, their most common outcome in this matchup range is either a narrow loss or a home win. With that script, Predators +1.5 at -250 is highly likely to cash but offers limited standalone value, so I grade it a C+: a reasonable option for risk-averse bettors or as a parlay stabilizer, yet less appealing than simply taking Nashville on the moneyline at plus money. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 24/01/2026 09:22