The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nashville Predators continue to battle it out in this season’s Stanley Cup Finals with Game 4 set for Monday night at Bridgestone Arena. All the action is slated to get underway at 8 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on NBC.
Pittsburgh at Nashville Game Overview
Pittsburgh brought a 2-0 series lead into Saturday night’s Game 3 and the simple fact that the Penguins had been outplayed in those first two wins at home ice finally caught up them in the first of the two games they will have to play on the road. They were able to take an early 1-0 lead on an Jake Guentzel goal in the first three minutes of the opening period, but that was it for the most potent scoring team in the NHL this season. Matt Murray suddenly looked very average; allowing five goals on 33 shots.
The Penguins are now an even 5-5 on the road in this season’s playoffs following Saturday’s 5-1 loss as +138 road underdogs and the total has gone OVER or ended as a PUSH in seven of those 10 games. Even with a total of nine goals in the first two games of this series, Pittsburgh has been held to three goals or less in 12 of its last 15 postseason games. It has scored a grand total of just six goals in its last four games on the road.
Nashville brought a 7-1 record on its home ice in the postseason into Game 3 and it used that edge to its full advantage to climb back into this series following two very disappointing losses on the road. The Predators’ defense held the Penguins to just 12 shots on goal in the series opener only to lose 5-3 as +144 road underdogs. They outshot Pittsburgh 38-27 in Game 2, but still ended up on the wrong end of a 4-1 loss as +123 road underdogs after allowing three goals in the span of three minutes early in the third period.
Pekka Rinne had been spectacular in goal through Nashville’s first three playoff series against Chicago, St. Louis and Anaheim with a stellar 1.70 goals-against average, but he almost played himself out of a starting job with his performance in those first two losses to Pittsburgh. Rinne was able to right the ship after giving up that early goal in Game 3 with 27 saves on the 28 shots he faced. Roman Josi tied the game at 1-1 a little over five minutes into the second period of Saturday night’s win and Frederick Gaudreau added the eventual game winner less than a minute later.
Pittsburgh at Nashville Game Betting Trends
- The Penguins are 35-16 in their last 51 games after allowing five or more goals in their previous outing and they are 35-17 in their last 52 games following a loss by three or more goals. The total has gone OVER in eight of their last 10 Monday games.
- The Predators have won 20 of their last 27 games played at home and they have gone 20-6 in their last 26 games played on a Monday. The total has gone OVER or ended as a PUSH in their last five games following a win.
- Head-to-head in this matchup, the home team has extended its winning streak to six games and the total has gone OVER the closing line in five of those contests.
