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A battle between two Western Conference foes is set for the center stage on Monday night, as the St. Louis Blues will travel to St. Paul to take on the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Vladamir Tarasenko and the Blues will look to advance past the first round for the first time since their 2018-19 Stanley Cup championship run, and that all starts with Game 1 at the Xcel Energy Center on Monday. We're back with our NHL odds series with a Blues-Wild prediction and pick ahead of the series opener.
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Here are the Blues-Wild NHL Odds, Courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Blues-Wild Odds
St. Louis Blues: +1.5 (-225) (+105 ML)
Minnesota Wild: -1.5 (+184) (-126 ML)
Over: 6.5 (-108)
Under: 6.5 (-112)
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Why The Blues Can Cover the Spread/Win
The St. Louis Blues will look to end their run of three consecutive first-round Stanley Cup Playoff exits. Tarasenko led the team in points this season with 82, enjoying a tremendous bounce-back year after two consecutive injury-riddled campaigns. With Tarasenko in form heading into the playoffs, the Blues will lean on their most dangerous goalscorer to give them an advantage against the Wild. He was one of the hearts and souls of the 2018-19 team that won the Cup and will look to lead his squad to another deep run in the playoffs. With Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich playing at the top of their game, it'll be tough for the Wild defense to contain St. Louis' attack.
Defensively, the Blues will have to work to contain the prolific threat that is Kirill Kaprizov, who is arguably the best player in this entire series. Kaprizov is a constant threat to score a goal or set up his teammates, and will be looking to find the back of the net throughout the series. If Justin Faulk, Torey Krug, Colton Parayko, and the rest of the Blues' defense can manage to mitigate Kaprizov's impact, St. Louis stands a far better chance on the road in Game 1.
Why The Wild Can Cover the Spread/Win
As we previously mentioned, the Wild have the single best player in the series in Kaprizov. What's more, Kaprizov comes into his own when up against the Blues. In three games against St. Louis this season, the 25-year-old has registered an incredible 9 points, scoring 3 goals and assisting 6 more. He's recorded 12 shots on target in those three games, and tallied a +3 when on the ice. Essentially, Kaprizov has been a major problem for the Blues all year long, and will look to continue that trend on Monday night when the stakes are raised.
Kaprizov isn't the only threat on the Wild, however. Ryan Hartman has enjoyed a breakout season in Minnesota, setting career-highs with his 31 goals and 34 assists. Hartman had never registered more than 31 points in a single season, yet he broke out for 65 in 2021-22. Additionally, Kevin Fiala will look to stay hot and get on the scoresheet after a career year that saw him record 85 points, including 33 goals and 52 assists. With so much firepower on Minnesota's offense, it'll be a tough battle for the Blues' defense.
Final Blues-Wild Prediction & Pick
The Wild and Blues are neck and neck in terms of team defense. Minnesota surrendered 2.78 goals per game, 12th best in the league. St. Louis allowed an average of 2.76 goals per game, which was good for 11th in the league. With the two defenses so evenly matched, this game could come down to the individual playmaker. That's where we feel Minnesota holds the advantage. While Tarasenko, Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, and Buchnevich all enjoyed sensational seasons, none came close to the 108-point season Kaprizov put together in Minneosta. Even Fiala's 85 points bested all four of the aforementioned Blues. With the two stars in form, this game feels like the Wild's to lose. We're going to roll with Minnesota Moneyline in this one, trusting Kaprizov and Co. to get the job done at home.
Final Blues-Wild Pick: Minnesota Wild ML (-126)
