NFL Previews 
MLB Previews 
NBA Previews 
NHL Previews 
Soccer Previews 
Ottawa Senators vs Nashville Predators Picks and Predictions – Thursday January 22, 2026
Ottawa closes a three-game road swing on Thursday night in Nashville, and it sets up as a chance to pressure a Predators team that’s been leaking goals in bunches. The market basically calls this a coin flip, but the matchup profile points to Ottawa being able to generate enough clean looks to tilt it.
The Senators finally stopped the bleeding Tuesday with a 4-1 win in Columbus after a rough stretch, and the bigger takeaway is they looked like a team that can play with pace again. Nashville is coming off back-to-back losses where the defending broke early, and that matters against an Ottawa group that wants to attack off the rush and force mistakes through the middle.
Ottawa Senators vs Nashville Predators Odds
These are the current numbers, and bettors should keep an eye on the latest NHL odds leading into puck drop.
| Team | Moneyline | Puck Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa Senators | -111 | -1.5 (+219) | 6.0 (Over -116 / Under -106) |
| Nashville Predators | -108 | +1.5 (-268) | 6.0 (Over -116 / Under -106) |
Ottawa Senators Betting Form
Ottawa’s offense still runs through Stutzle’s creation and the team’s ability to turn broken plays into second chances. When the Senators are right, they’re getting controlled entries, layering shots, and forcing defenders to pivot. That’s the recipe against a team that has struggled to hold structure when the forecheck arrives in waves.
The Senators’ recent results have been ugly, but two of the last losses coming in overtime matters for bettors. They’ve been closer than the record suggests, and a lot of their downside has been tied to puck management at bad times. If Ottawa keeps its neutral-zone decisions simple, the ceiling is higher than what you usually get at near-even money. For deeper team trends and splits, check Ottawa Senators stats and results.
Availability is still a key variable in Ottawa’s net. Reimer has handled the last two starts well, and with Ullmark away, Ottawa’s floor is tied to whether they get league-average goaltending or a wobble early. Here’s what you want to monitor before betting totals or regulation: Ottawa Senators injury report.
Nashville Predators Betting Form
Nashville’s scoring punch can show up on any night, especially when Forsberg and O’Reilly are driving the attack and the power play gets touches in the middle. The problem is what happens behind it. The Predators have been giving up high-volume chances, and when they fall behind early, they start chasing the game and trading, which is not a great place to live as a short favorite.
This team has been too easy to play against in its own end. When the Predators’ gaps get loose, you see clean zone time against them and a lot of extended shifts where defenders get stuck. Even if Nashville rallies late, those early minutes matter for moneyline and for live betting because it changes who controls the pace.
Goaltending is the swing point. Saros has carried a heavy workload and has been pulled recently, and if he’s in again, I’m not assuming peak form. If Nashville pivots to a different starter, that changes the projection but also introduces uncertainty. For recent game logs and how Nashville has been performing at home, use Nashville Predators schedule and stats. And keep the latest availability in view: Nashville Predators injury report.
Ottawa Senators vs Nashville Predators Matchup Breakdown
At 5-on-5, the cleanest angle is Ottawa’s ability to create off speed through the neutral zone versus Nashville’s tendency to give up space when it can’t establish its forecheck. If the Senators get controlled entries and force Nashville to defend east-west, the Predators’ defensive issues show up fast, especially on second chances and late coverage.
Special teams can decide this one. Nashville can absolutely win the game if it draws penalties and turns the power play into momentum shifts. Ottawa’s path is to stay disciplined and make Nashville score at even strength, where the Predators have been more volatile and more dependent on finishing benders.
The goalie question matters for how aggressive you want to be with totals and puck line exposure. If Reimer starts and is steady, Ottawa can play from in front and keep the game on its terms. If Ottawa’s crease becomes a question mid-game, it opens the door to the kind of track meet Nashville has been drifting into lately.
Ottawa Senators vs Nashville Predators Predictions and Best Bets
My baseline is Ottawa as the slightly better side at the current price. Nashville’s defensive issues are not a one-game blip, and Ottawa’s offense is built to punish teams that get stretched. The Senators don’t need to be perfect, they just need to avoid the catastrophic first ten minutes and keep their decision-making clean in the neutral zone.
The puck line at +219 is tempting, but Ottawa’s goaltending situation makes me prefer the moneyline over laying margin. If you want a secondary angle, the total is live because Nashville’s games can tilt into trading quickly, but 6.0 is a key number and you don’t want to force it if you’re already invested on the side.
The other way I’d approach this is patience. If Nashville comes out hot at home and the live number offers Ottawa at a better price without a big shift in shot quality, that can be the best entry. But pregame, the market is giving you a fair enough number to take the Senators.
Best Bet: Ottawa Senators Moneyline (-111)
NHL Picks and Handicappers on ScoresAndStats
If you’re building a nightly card, keep your matchup reads aligned with how the market is actually moving. The easiest way to do that is to track the slate on the NHL picks page and compare sides, totals, and price points across games instead of betting in isolation.
When you want more accountability behind the opinions, use the best handicappers hub and check the leaderboard to see who’s been sharp recently. For premium plays and bigger-position spots, you can also browse buy picks and stay locked in with daily matchup pages in the NHL previews hub. If you’re tightening process, the NHL betting guide and the Stanley Cup betting guide are worth having in your toolkit for market context and futures strategy.
