Pinnacle    -1½ +205    BET365  -1½ +205  Sportsinteraction  -1½ +205  888port  -1½ +205

Posted at 8:00AM ET. Odds are subject to change

Utah -1½ +205 over Nashville

Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN

8:00 PM ET. Regulation only. You can’t fix a bad hockey team by winning one close game in October. Yet that’s exactly what the market seems to believe after Nashville edged out Columbus 2-1 in their opener. The Predators were outshot 39-24, leaned entirely on Juuse Saros to bail them out, and spent long stretches chasing the puck. That’s not “turning a corner.” That’s surviving.

This is the same Nashville group that lost its first five last year, finished seventh in the Central, and routinely got caved in by teams that could skate. They’ve made no meaningful roster upgrades, and they’re still asking Saros to play superhero every night behind a paper-thin blue line. You can quote all the “something to build on” clichés you want, but when a coach is using that language after Game 1, it tells you plenty about the state of things.

Enter the Utah Mammoth — the NHL’s new toy, sure, but also a legitimately dangerous hockey team with a ton of energy and upside. They lost 2-1 in Colorado on Thursday, yet outplayed the Avalanche for large stretches and would’ve left Denver with two points if not for a hot goalie. Utah’s attack looked quick, creative, and confident, led by Dylan Guenther, who scored the club’s first goal in franchise history.

The Mammoth were missing Barrett Hayton in that game, which left them exposed on faceoffs, but he’s expected back here. That helps immensely in the dots, where Colorado dominated, and it also adds another layer to a top six that’s loaded with youth and speed. Coach André Tourigny has this team playing fearless hockey — they don’t sit back, and they won’t be intimidated by a name-brand goaltender or a building with some noise.

We’ll gladly step into this inflated price to lay the puck and a half. Nashville is being priced like a middling home favorite when they’re much closer to a team hoping not to sink early again. Utah, meanwhile, has all the makings of a live dog that’s still undervalued by the market.

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