Nashville Predators vs Vancouver Canucks, Game 5 Best Bets: Preds Season on the Line

It all comes down to this. Tonight the Vancouver Canucks host the Nashville Predators with a chance to end their season and advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Predators had Game 4 all but locked up.

Nashville held a 3-1 lead early in the 3rd period, until Brock Boeser scored with less than 3 minutes on the clock to get it within one. Play continued, the Canucks pulled their goalie, and Nashville had an empty net shot go off the post and away from the goal with less than 2 minutes on the clock. Things just got worse from there.

The Canucks battled and found an equalizer, from none other than Mr. Boeser, with just 8 seconds remaining. Vancouver would seal the win just 62 seconds into overtime from Elias Lindholm.

Now, we have a Canucks team up 3-1 this series, going back home with a chance to move on. On the other side, we’ve got an extremely demoralized Predators squad, headed way back up North to try and fight for their season. Can they do it? Do they have what it takes? Or will Vancouver punch their ticket to the next round?

Canucks Cruising at Home

Matchup Information – Predators vs Canucks

• Venue & Location: Rogers Arena (Vancouver, BC)
• Date: Tuesday, April 30th, 2024
• Puck Drop: 10:00pm Eastern
• Where to Watch: TBS

Betting Odds, courtesy of BetOnline

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Puck Line

• Predators +1.5 (-255)
• Canucks -1.5 (+215)

Money Line

• Predators +104
• Canucks -117

Total

• Over 5.5 (-115)
• Under 5.5 (-101)

Do Predators Have Any Life Left?

Imagine you go on the road to start the playoffs, lose Game 1, but then take Game 2 against the back up goalie. Now you’re back home for Game 3, and you drop that one. Then before Game 4, you find out you’ll face the 3rd string goalie!

You build up a 2 goal lead with 3 minutes left, watching it fall to just one goal. But then you have a breakaway empty netter, and it goes off the post… Only to have your opponents come down and tie the game with less than 10 seconds left. Do you even want to play overtime at this point?

It didn’t look like it, cause your opponent ended the game in 62 seconds. Game Over.

Now you are down 3-1, having to road trip all the way to across the border to fight for your season. Morale for the Predators has to be at an all time low. They outshot the Canucks 30-21 last game, and have peppered the net much more than their opponent this season. You would think luck would be on their side considering they are facing the Canucks 3rd goalie, one who has started just 4 games all season long.

Personally, I just don’t have any faith left in the Predators. They melted down in Game 1, goaltending was horrendous in Game 3, and nothing went their way in a Game 4 collapse. I’ve seen enough, give me the Canucks.

Nashville Predators vs Vancouver Canucks Best Bets Today

Vancouver Canucks ML (-117) BetOnline

Artus Silovs has only started 4 games for the Canucks, but he’s had plenty of reps. This season, he’s stopped 74/84 shots, posting a 2.47 GA/G, with 3 wins and an OT loss to the Coyotes. The Canucks defense already does a great job of limiting shots from their opponent, and I think that continues as they help out their young goaltender.

Offensively, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little worried for Vancouver. They simply haven’t been producing many shots this series. In just 4 games, they have 72 total shots, averaging just 18 SOGs per game, but have somehow managed to score almost 3 goals per game. Saros has a .859 save percentage this playoffs, but a career postseason SV% of .907.

He hasn’t been playing his best, and while I think he steps up with the season on the line, I’m not sure he will get much support from his offense. Give me the Canucks to win another low scoring contest.

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