Nashville Predators vs Calgary Flames Betting Pick & Prediction 1/4/25

The Predators and Flames are set to face off at 10:00 ET on ESPN+. The Flames will host the game at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB. The Predators are the -1.5 goal favorite in this Western conference matchup against Flames. The over/under for the game is set at 5.5 goals.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS VS CALGARY FLAMES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Calgary Flames +1.5

This game will be played at Scotiabank Saddledome at 10:00 ET on Saturday, January 4th.

WHY BET THE CALGARY FLAMES:

• Even though they are considered 1.5-goal underdogs, our projection points to a 4-3 win for the Flames.
• We like the Flames on the moneyline (-105)
• The Flames are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Can the Predators Deliver Being Favored on the Road?

With a 5-2 win over the Avalanche, the Predators moved to 12-20-7 this season. Nashville covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the 7 total goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5.

The Avalanche scored first, but the Predators responded with five unanswered goals. All five of Nashville’s goals came from different players.

Nashville found the net five times in their matchup against the Avalanche, with all five goals coming from different players. Gustav Nyquist added his 4th goal of the season on an empty net, while Filip Forsberg netted his 7th, also on an empty net. Roman Josi picked up his first goal of the season on a power play, and Steven Stamkos scored his 2nd goal, also on a power play. Colton Sissons added his 1st goal of the year.

The Predators fired 25 shots on goal and recorded 15 giveaways. Gustav Nyquist earned his 4th assist of the season, while Jonathan Marchessault added his 5th assist. Nashville was held scoreless in the first period before scoring twice in the second and three times in the third.

Defensively, Nashville will look to build on their previous performance, where they allowed just 2 goals to the Avalanche. Juuse Saros made 29 saves with a 93.5% save percentage, while the Predators’ defense added 4 takeaways and 23 hits. The only area they’d like to improve is scoring first, as Colorado made it 1-0 at 17:06 in the 2nd period and added another late goal at 2:17 in the 3rd.

Do the Flames Have What it Takes at Home?

Calgary fell to 18-13-7 after a 4-2 loss to the Oilers. The Flames were underdogs on the puck line and the total of 6.5 goals, with the combined 6 falling just short.

After trailing 2-0, Calgary tied it up in the third period, but Edmonton pulled ahead with a power-play goal and sealed it with an empty-netter.

Calgary’s offense managed only two goals in their 4-2 loss to Edmonton. Anthony Mantha netted his fourth goal of the season on a power play, while Yegor Sharangovich added his first goal of the year. The Flames took 31 shots on goal but were held scoreless in the first period.

Calgary had 22 giveaways in the game and recorded three assists, with Tyson Barrie picking up his first of the season on Mantha’s power-play goal. The Flames’ first goal came 4:33 into the second period, and they tied the game 2-2 with a goal 4:28 into the third period.

The Flames’ defense will be looking to bounce back after giving up the first two goals in their last game against the Oilers, including one just 20 seconds into the first period. After tying the game at 2-2, they allowed another goal 10:10 into the third period and a late empty-netter. Dan Vladar made 27 saves with a 90% save percentage.