Stanley Cup Final 2017: Predators vs. Penguins Game 5 Odds, Props, Predictions

The French Open is getting close to its most vital matches in Paris, and there's a pretty good tennis match going on in the NHL.

The Pittsburgh Penguins opened the match by winning both of their service games on home ice, and the Nashville Predators responded in kind with a pair of one-sided games at Bridgestone Arena.

The Preds are hoping for a service break in Game 5 Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena. The two teams face off at 8 p.m. ET and the game will be televised by NBC.

Of course, the Penguins are all about getting back on track and defending their home ice. Pittsburgh appeared to get the key bounces in the first two games of the series as the Preds outshot them in both games in Pittsburgh, but the Penguins took advantage of their scoring opportunities.

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They also had appeared to have figured out Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne, as they scored eight goals on 36 shots. If Rinne was shaken by his ordinary showing in Pittsburgh, he quickly got back on track when he returned home.

He gave up just two goals in two games, and that was one of the primary reasons the Preds were able to win both games in Tennessee. Nashville rolled to a 5-1 win in Game 3 in which the Preds outplayed the Penguins in every area, but Rinne made a series of brilliant saves in the 4-1 Game 4 victory Monday night.

He stopped Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz on breakaway opportunities, and he also stoned Jake Guentzel on another door-step opportunity.

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan took an optimistic tone about those scoring opportunities. "It was the first game in the series that we out-chanced them," Sullivan said Wednesday, per Arpon Basu of NHL.com. "We had some high-quality chances."

Nashville head coach Peter Laviolette acknowledged there were some things in Monday's victory that he didn't like. He knows the Preds can do a better job in their own defensive end, per Basu:

"So I think the only game really where they did get behind us was [Monday] night. From that, when they did get behind us, not only was there a goal by Crosby, but there was a chance, then a second chance, a third chance, sometimes a fourth chance. When they got behind us, they were able to do some damage off of that. We need to play a little bit tighter than we did [Monday] night in those situations."

Nashville has attacked the Penguins with speed throughout the series and has been able to get consistent opportunities against Penguins goalie Matt Murray.

One of those chances was a Game 4 breakaway by Viktor Arvidsson, and he wristed that opportunity into the back of the net. It was Arvidsson's first goal in 15 games.

The Pens' home-ice advantage also translates into them having the advantage as far as the handicappers are concerned. Pittsburgh is a minus-155 favorite, according to OddsShark. A bettor would have to wager $155 to earn a profit of $100 if the Penguins win the game. The Preds are plus-140 underdogs.

Earlier in the series, Pittsburgh players were dominating the Conn Smythe Trophy race. That honor goes to the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Rinne is now the favorite in that race at plus-250, according to OddsShark. Evgeni Malkin is the second choice at plus-350, while Jake Guentzel and Crosby are both plus-500. Filip Forsberg is the second choice among Nashville players at plus-900.

Predictions

The Penguins looked they were going to roll to a second consecutive Stanley Cup at the start of the series, but the Predators refused to roll over when the series got to Nashville.

This series has the look of one that could be dominated by the home teams. Look for Crosby and Malkin to take charge in Game 5 and help the Penguins get the win and take a 3-2 lead in the series. 

As far as the Conn Smythe goes, look for Crosby to put his imprint on the series in the closing games. He is the best player in the world and he will prove it on the night the Penguins win the Stanley Cup. He will earn the Conn Smythe Trophy.