Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Nashville Predators Game 3 Odds, NHL Betting Pick

The Nashville Predators have outplayed the Pittsburgh Penguins so far but are still searching for their first victory heading home for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday as small favorites. The defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins have played well enough in spurts to outscore the Predators by a somewhat deceiving 9-4 margin in taking a 2-0 series lead.

Betting line: The Predators opened as -140 favorites (wager $140 to win $100); the total is at 5.5 goals, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

Why the Penguins can pay on the NHL lines

The scary thing is Pittsburgh has yet to turn in a great performance by its standards in the Stanley Cup final, so any improvements could see the team go up 3-0. The Pens were outshot again 38-27 in Game 2, but they saw goaltender Matt Murray step up with 37 saves in a 4-1 win.

They were 0-for-7 on the power play as well, although their opponent went 0-for-4 after going 2-for-3 in Game 1. This is a championship squad that knows how to win on the road too, so the goal is to take one of two in Nashville.

Why the Predators can pay on the NHL lines

Netminder Pekka Rinne entered the Stanley Cup final as one of the favorites to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for the Preds. Instead, Rinne has been one of the reasons they have lost the first two games. He has been a shell of himself in surrendering eight goals on 36 shots, but home ice has treated him and his team well this postseason.

Nashville is 7-1 at Bridgestone Arena, allowing opponents to score only one goal there five times in the wins. Rinne was also much better at home during the regular season and can rebound.

Smart betting pick

The Preds have enjoyed the best home-ice advantage of any team in the playoffs, and some still believe this series will go back to Pittsburgh tied 2-2. Despite the fact that the Pens have won four of the past five road meetings dating back to 2010, that sample size is simply too small to take seriously. Bettors should expect Nashville to bounce back in this spot as home chalk.

NHL betting trends

Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last six games against Nashville.

The total has gone over in four of Pittsburgh's last five games against Nashville.

Nashville is 7-1 SU in its last eight games at home.

All NHL lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.