Nashville Predators vs Chicago Blackhawks Picks and Predictions March 8th 2025

Nashville Predators vs Chicago Blackhawks March 8th 2025

Don’t miss out on the NHL showdown between the Blackhawks and Predators. The game is starting at 8:00 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Predators at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this Central division contest is set at 6 goals, with the Predators being favored by -1.5 at home against the Blackhawks.

Chicago vs. Nashville Key Information

• Teams: Blackhawks at Predators
• Where: Bridgestone Arena Nashville
• Date: Saturday, March 8th
• Betting Odds NAS -271 | CHI +218 O/U 6

The Blackhawks Can Win If…

Chicago improved to 20-35-8 with a 4-2 road win over the Ducks. The Blackhawks covered the puck line as underdogs, and the total of 6 goals fell short of the 6.5 line.

Four different players scored for the Blackhawks, who built a 3-0 lead before Anaheim got on the board. Chicago’s defense held the Ducks scoreless until the 10:16 mark of the third period.

Chicago’s offense fired 29 shots on goal and scored four times in their 4-2 win over the Ducks. Ryan Donato netted his 7th goal of the season, while Seth Jones added his 2nd. Isaak Phillips opened the scoring for the Blackhawks, and Teuvo Teravainen followed with his 4th goal, which came on a power play.

Connor Bedard contributed with three assists, bringing his total to 9 for the season. The Blackhawks scored twice in the 1st period, added another in the 2nd, and capped their scoring with Donato’s goal at 17:43 in the 3rd period.

Defensively, the Blackhawks will look to build on their previous performance, where they gave up just 2 goals to the Ducks. Arvid Söderblom made 38 saves with a 95% save percentage, and the defense added 6 takeaways and 5 hits. The only goals they allowed came in the 3rd period, including one with just 4 seconds left.

• Chicago will look to keep things rolling as they have put together a mark of 2-1 over their past three games. Their strong play has also resulted in an puck line mark of 3-0 (last 3). They had an over/under mark of 3-0 in those same games.
• Across Chicago’s last ten regular season games, their record sits at 4-6. Against the spread, Chicago went 7-3 in these games and finished with an over-under mark of 8-1-1.

The Predators Can Win If…

Nashville improved to 23-32-7 with a 5-2 win over the Avalanche. The Predators covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 7 goals went over the pre-game line of 6.5.

All five of Nashville’s goals came from different players. After trailing 1-0, they tied it up with Steven Stamkos’ goal at 11:29 in the second period. The Predators then added two empty-net goals to seal the victory.

Nashville’s offense took 25 shots on goal and scored twice on power plays in their 5-2 win over Colorado. The Predators added two empty-net goals, with Gustav Nyquist netting his 4th goal of the season and Filip Forsberg scoring his 7th.

Five different players scored for the Predators, including Roman Josi, who now has 1 goal and 1 assist. Steven Stamkos, with 2 goals on the season, also contributed his 3rd assist on Josi’s power-play goal in the 3rd period.

Defensively, Nashville gave up the first goal to Colorado at 17:06 in the 2nd period and another at 17:43 in the 3rd, but they held the Avalanche scoreless otherwise. Juuse Saros made 29 saves with a 93.5% save percentage, and the Predators’ defense added 4 takeaways and 23 hits.

• Through their last three games, the Predators have a record of 2-1. The team has also been excellent vs the spread, going 2-1. Their over-under record in these games was 2-1.
• Across Nashville’s last ten regular season games, their record sits at 5-5. Their record against the puck line in this stretch is 5-5 to go along with an over-under mark of 5-5.

The Lean

When it comes to a moneyline bet in this game, our analysis leans towards the Predators picking up the win. However, given the current odds of -271, I’d advise going with the puck line, as our predictions have the Predators coming out on top by more than one goal.

For a puck line prediction, our preference is the Predators to secure a win and cover. Anticipate the Predators to win this one by multiple goals over the Blackhawks.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

No. 20 Marquette Looks to Locate Range vs. No. 6 St. John’s

The Big East regular season concludes with a high-stakes battle as No. 20 Marquette hosts No. 6 St. John’s on Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee.

Marquette (22-8, 13-6 Big East) enters the game looking to bounce back from a 72-66 loss at UConn on Wednesday, while St. John’s (25-5, 16-3) has had the week off after clinching the Big East regular-season title last weekend.

Marquette Searching for Shooting Touch After Cold Performance

Marquette’s loss to UConn was defined by a poor shooting night, as the Golden Eagles went just 3-for-22 from three-point range.

David Joplin was the only player to connect from deep, hitting all three of Marquette’s makes from beyond the arc while leading the team with 23 points. The rest of the Golden Eagles were 0-for-16 from three.

Head coach Shaka Smart knows his team has to be better on the boards and more efficient offensively to take down St. John’s.

“I thought we made them miss enough to win, but we didn’t get enough of them back,” Smart said. “You look at the 3-point number… the biggest number there is the offensive rebounds.”

UConn dominated the glass, grabbing 19 offensive rebounds, a key factor in the Huskies’ win.

St. John’s Enters on High Note After Clinching Big East Title

St. John’s locked up its first outright Big East regular-season title since 1985 with a 71-61 win over Seton Hall last Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

For head coach Rick Pitino, the achievement is especially rewarding given the program’s resurgence.

“This was a goal of ours; seeing a sold-out Madison Square Garden again is very rewarding for me personally,” Pitino said. “We’re excited, we need this week to get ready for a tough Marquette, and we’ll get back to the basics of being one of the best conditioned teams in the nation.”

RJ Luis Jr. leads the Red Storm with 17.8 points per game, while Kadary Richmond is the team’s top playmaker, averaging 5.1 assists and 2.1 steals per contest. Zuby Ejiofor dominates the paint, leading St. John’s with 8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.

On the injury front, St. John’s could be without guard Aaron Scott, who is dealing with a knee injury. He played just three minutes against Seton Hall and is questionable for Saturday.

Previous Meeting: St. John’s Ended Marquette’s Winning Streak

Marquette had won six straight meetings against St. John’s before falling 70-64 on Feb. 4 in New York.

Richmond led the Red Storm with 18 points and eight assists, while Luis added 17 points.

For Marquette, Chase Ross led with 16 points and eight assists, but the Golden Eagles struggled at the free-throw line and from three.

St. John’s shot just 54.8% from the foul line and 18.8% from beyond the arc, keeping Marquette within striking distance until the final buzzer.

Tournament Seeding Implications

If Marquette wins, the Golden Eagles clinch at least the No. 4 seed in the Big East Tournament and could move up to No. 3 if UConn loses to Seton Hall.

If Marquette loses, they drop to either the fourth or fifth seed, setting up a quarterfinal matchup against Xavier on Thursday.

There is also a potential rematch in the Big East semifinals, as a four or five seed could face No. 1 St. John’s on Friday night—but only if both teams win their quarterfinal games.

Explore comprehensive NHL Conference odds and predictions to see which teams are favored this season

What’s at Stake?

For Marquette, Saturday’s game is about regaining its shooting rhythm, controlling the boards, and securing a higher tournament seed.

For St. John’s, this game isn’t just about finishing the season strong, but also proving they can go into the Big East Tournament with momentum as the top seed.

With conference title implications behind them, St. John’s is playing for pride, while Marquette is playing for positioning. Expect a hard-fought battle in Milwaukee as both teams gear up for March Madness.