Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy discusses his team's chances as it opens a road trip in Toronto. With five games on the card Wednesday night, I've once again been monitoring the lines throughout the morning, and for the second straight night I'm jumping on board with the sharp money. Last night the professional betting groups played the Rangers, and they got there with their win over the Canucks in Vancouver. Once again the sharp betting groups are moving on two road teams, one more so than the other. Word on the street is smart money has come pouring in on the injury-ravaged Vegas Golden Knights, who open an extended junket in Toronto against the Maple Leafs. For the record, they're also playing the Los Angeles Kings against the Buffalo Sabres but I'm not into numbers that big, and the game I'm more intrigued by is the Nashville Predators and Seattle Kraken, as I've been told firsthand there is heavy action from the sharps. Let's do a deep dive into this one: WHY NASHVILLE: The Predators snapped a three-game skid on Sunday with a 5-3 win in Vancouver. Tonight brings an end to a five-game road trip that has taken the Preds through Denver, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver before tonight's stop. What's important to take from the road trip is the competitiveness we've seen the Preds play with during this tour. They lost back-to-back road games in overtime. They're 1-3-3 away from Nashville, and tonight they have another crack at their second road win. WHY SEATTLE: Prior to Sunday's 2-0 home loss to the Rangers, the Kraken had won four in a row. They've finally found their footing after a 5-8-1 start to the season. And it's been their offense that has been the biggest culprit, as the Kraken have outscored their opposition, 15-8, during the four-game win streak. Seattle has won five of the last eight meetings with the Predators, so I expect confidence to accompany the Kraken with this one. All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly. THE PICK - PREDATORS -140: Nashville has to be one of the most strangest teams early on this season, as it's not yet clear how their two big off-season acquisitions will impact the lineup. Both Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos have 10 points apiece, tied for third on the team behind wing Filip Forsberg (15) and defenseman Roman Josi (14). At some point either Marchessault or Stamkos - if not both - will make their presence felt with an outburst. Don't be surprised if Marchessault has a big game, as he leads all NHL skaters in goals against the Kraken with nine in 13 games. He also has four assists in those contests. Forsberg leads the franchise in points against Seattle, posting nine points (3 goals, 6 assists) in eight games. Nashville makes it two in a row with a bit of offensive combustion in this one. (Season Record: 5-4-0, Net: +$95, based on $100 units)
