The Central Division will be under the spotlight on Monday as the St. Louis Blues visit the Nashville Predators. Both teams are on the outside looking in when it comes to the Western Conference playoff chase, but this is a very winnable game for both sides against a struggling opponent. Here, I break down this game on the ice and bring you my Blues vs Predators prediction in the NHL.
Our Blues vs Predators Pick
Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: St. Louis Blues vs Nashville Predators
- Date & Time: Monday, February 2, 2026, 8:00 PM ET
- Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
- Recent form — St. Louis halted a 0-4-1 skid with a 5-4 home win over Florida on Thursday, lifted by Jordan Kyrou’s 3-point night and Jimmy Snuggerud’s late power-play dagger. But they were unable to follow up on that with a win, as they fell 5-3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. Nashville dropped back-to-back 3-2 games in overtime at Boston and New Jersey, then closed the trip with a win on Long Island before heading home for this one.
- Goaltending — The projected starters for this game are Juuse Saros for Nashville and Jordan Binnington for St. Louis. Saros has a .895 save percentage this season with a 3.04 goals-against average, while Binnington has a .866 GAA and a 3.60 GAA. Binnington has the higher ceiling, but Saros has been better for the most part.
- Key skaters — Nashville’s top-line has been Ryan O’Reilly, Steven Stamkos, and Filip Forsberg. All three have been dangerous for the Preds this season. Luke Evangelista’s passing has helped stabilize the top six offensively. St. Louis leans on Kyrou’s speed and playmaking, Jake Neighbours’ finishing, and Pavel Buchnevich’s two-way impact. Robert Thomas leads the Blues in points this season, but he is on injured reserve, while Neighbours is listed as day-to-day.
- Head-to-head notes — These clubs have traded blows across this season. Nashville is 2-1 against the Blues this year. The Blues secured a split in the two games held in St. Louis this season, while the Predators beat the Blues 7-2 in their first meeting in Nashville.
- Puckline trends, over/under trends — The Blues are 27-28 on the puckline this season and 28-27 to the over. Nashville enters this game with a 28-26 puckline record this season and a 28-26 record to the over in the totals market.
Blues vs Predators Model Projection
Final Thoughts
