Normally, I don't like to lay a price higher than $1.35 in a hockey game especially in the Stanley Cup where there have been lots of upsets this season. But I believe Nashville warrants backing at a little extra juice.

The series is tied 1-1. The Predators, though, outplayed the Ducks during the two games in Anaheim. Now the Predators return to Nashville where they have won 19 of their last 26. The Predators have won nine playoff games in a row at Bridgestone Arena, including all five Stanley Cup games this season.

The last time the Predators lost a playoff game at home was last season to the Ducks. The Predators won't forget that. The Ducks haven't made a road trip of this distance in quite a while.

I like the coaches from both of these teams. I had the Ducks in Game 2 with part of my handicap being a belief that Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle would make the right adjustments and take advantage of getting to make the last line change since his team was home. Mission accomplished. However, now Carlyle loses that edge being the road coach.

Nashville's Peter Laviolette may be the doing the best coaching job of any coach during the Stanley Cup. The Predators won Game 1 in Anaheim and led 2-0 in Game 2 before losing because goalie Pekka Rinne had a rare shaky performance. The Predators aren't going to blow a lead at home, especially a two-goal advantage, and Rinne had played extremely well in the playoffs up to the last game.

I trust Rinne more than Anaheim goalie John Gibson, an average netminder who has been playing well above his head so far. The Predators have had a number of good looks, more than the Ducks. The Predators are due for a higher percentage of those shots to go in the net. Gibson doesn't have the track record to maintain this high of a level.

Even though the Ducks scored five goals in the last game, I'm not sold that their offense has turned around. Corey Perry remain awful and the Predators have yielded just seven goals in regulation during their last seven home games.