Predators vs Coyotes Picks and Predictions for NHL Qualifying Round

Despite being underdogs against Nashville, the Arizona Coyotes have a goaltending edge and a special-teams advantage, making them an appealing upset pick in their best-of-five Qualifying Round matchup.

Rohit Ponnaiya - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Rohit Ponnaiya • Betting Analyst
Jul 22, 2020 • 00:23 ET
Arizona's Taylor Hall protects the puck from Nashville's Roman Josi in NHL action.
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

NHL betting is back on the board as the Nashville Predators take on the Arizona Coyotes in a Qualifying Round matchup to determine which team will advance to the NHL playoffs.

These Coyotes are pups with odds of +110 to win this series, while the Predators are installed at -130 to get into the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the sixth year in a row.

While neither side is known for wide-open, high-scoring hockey, if you like excellent defensive play and sharp goaltending then this series should provide plenty of entertainment. We break down NHL odds as we bring you picks and predictions for the play-in series between the Nashville Predators and the Arizona Coyotes. 

Predators vs Coyotes Qualifying Round Odds

Team Odds to win the series
Nashville Predators -153
Arizona Coyotes +111

Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction

Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators Stanley Cup Odds +3,300

The Predators had an up-and-down season, but did manage to head into the COVID-19 shutdown going 9-4-1 over their last 14 games. The Preds don't have much punch up front, with Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene the only forwards to hit the 40-point plateau, but they have a terrific group of blueliners anchored by Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis

It feels bizarre to say, but for the first time in a decade, the Predators look shaky between the pipes. Pekka Rinne is one of three former elite goalies (along with Sergei Bobrovsky and Henrik Lundqvist) to fall off the cliff this season. The 37-year-old, who hadn't finished a healthy regular season with a GAA above 2.50 since 2010, had a 3.17 GAA and a save percentage of .895 in 35 starts this year. The Preds will likely be better off with Juuse Saros starting.

Nashville Predators betting trends

  • The Predators are fourth in the league in faceoff win percentage at 52.3.
  • The Predators have the third-worst penalty kill unit in the league.
  • The Predators have the 25th-ranked powerplay in the league.
 

Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes Stanley Cup Odds +5,500

Despite trading for Taylor Hall, Arizona continues to have a hard time putting the puck in the net, ranking just 23rd in the league in goals scored. Although Hall has produced, he hasn't lifted the play of his linemates, while offseason acquisition Phil Kessel has been an abject disappointment with just 38 points after tallying 82 for the Penguins last season. 

On the flipside, the Coyotes have a strong group of defensemen anchored by Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Alex Goligoski and Jakob Chychrun, who should be fully recovered from a hip injury.

In nets, Arizona will be stoked to have a healthy Darcy Kuemper. Kuemper followed up on an excellent 2018-19 campaign by looking like a Vezina Trophy candidate earlier this season until a lower-body injury knocked him out of the lineup. He returned at the end of February and didn't miss a beat, posting a 2.55 GAA and a .924 save percentage in four games before the COVID-19 shutdown.

Arizona Coyotes betting trends

  • The Coyotes allow the third-fewest first period goals in the league with 53.
  • The Coyotes are 26th in the league in Fenwick Rating.
  • The Coyotes have the worst win percentage in the league in one-goal games.

Predators vs Coyotes Head-to-Head Comparison

Nashville Predators Tale of the Tape Arizona Coyotes
35-26-8 Record 33-29-8
37-30 O/U 30-38
3.07 Goals Per Game 2.71
3.10 Goals Allowed Per Game 2.61
17.3 Power Play Percentage 19.2
76.1 Penalty Kill Percentage 82.7

Predators vs Coyotes Picks and Predictions

Series Prediction: Arizona +111 - Although Nashville is the No. 6 seed and Arizona No. 11, only four points separated them in the standings and the Coyotes have the edge in a few key categories.

The Preds have been absolutely brutal on special teams, ranking near the bottom of the league on both the powerplay and the penalty kill, while the Coyotes have the fifth-best penalty kill unit in the NHL. And while neither group of forwards is impressive, the Coyotes are more talented thanks to Hall, Kessel, Clayton Keller and Conor Garland.

Keep in mind that Arizona also plays like a completely different team with their No. 1 netminder between the pipes, going 15-8-2 in Kuemper's starts prior to his injury in December. Back the underdogs with the better goalie in this best-of-five series. 

 

More NHL Qualifying Round picks and predictions

Under the NHL's special return to play format, there are eight best-of-five Qualifying Round matchups preceding the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Check out our best picks and predictions for all the other series that are scheduled to take place when NHL action resumes:

Western Conference

Eastern Conference

Where can I bet on NHL Playoffs odds?

Most online books and casinos offer bets on the Stanley Cup Playoffs and should offer odds on this special Qualifying Round. Check out the best sportsbooks available where you live and see what they are offering for NHL Playoffs odds.

Pages related to this topic

Rohit Ponnaiya
Betting Analyst

With a background playing soccer, rugby, and boxing, combined with a journalism degree, it's little surprise that Rohit gravitated towards the world of sports betting. He specializes in betting on UFC and college basketball, two sports where the eyeball test can tell you a lot more about matchups than any analytics. Rohit has years of experience handicapping NFL and NBA games as well as niche betting markets such as politics and Oscar odds. He's also the resident CFL expert and formerly hosted "The Chez and Ro Show" with former CFL star Davis Sanchez. You can catch Rohit breaking down every UFC event with Joe Osborne on "P4P Picks" on the Covers YouTube channel and he also has regular appearances on "Before You Bet" with Joe. In addition, he's a regular guest on "By The Book" on the Monumental Sports Network and makes guest appearances on VSIN's "The Handle" and CBS Sports. Rohit primarily makes his bets at bet365, which offers a wide variety of prop markets, but also has accounts at several others so he can shop around for the best prices. For Rohit, bankroll management is key. He believes you should never bet what you can't afford to lose and maximize those few betting opportunities where books misprice a line.

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