Subscribe
Follow Us
The St. Louis Blues have lost the power of the new head coach bump, as Jim Montgomery is beginning to fall into the same issues as the previous coaches. The Blues' offense has been terrible, scoring two or fewer goals in six consecutive games and getting shut out in two of the past five. The Florida Panthers are back on top of the Atlantic Division, and Paul Maurice gets to battle a familiar foe in Montgomery. The Panthers were Montgomery's kryptonite when he was with the Boston Bruins, and it shouldn't get any easier with this St. Louis roster. The Panthers won their first matchup this season 2-1 in overtime, but the Blues have won four of their past six meetings. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Panthers-Blues prediction and pick.
Here are the Panthers-Blues NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Panthers-Blues Odds
Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+150)
Moneyline: -170
St. Louis Blues: +1.5 (-180)
Moneyline: +145
Over: 5.5 (-110)
Under: 5.5 (-110)
How To Watch Panthers vs. Blues
Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
TV: Fanduel Sports Network, SCRIPPS
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Panthers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Blues have been one of the worst teams over the past month, with their offense reaching a level they didn't see before the head coaching swap. St. Louis scored just six goals over their past five games, which is a massive problem when playing a team like the Panthers. The Panthers scored three or more goals in four consecutive games and seven of the past nine games. If Florida matches that production in this game, it's hard to see the Blues being able to keep up.
The Blues' offense has been terrible this season and, after a slight turnaround under Montgomery, has returned to being mediocre. They are 26th in the league with 2.67 goals per game but are averaging just two over their past ten games. It's an even more significant problem when you look at their numbers, as their leading point-getter over the past ten games is Jordan Kyrou, who has two goals, and Robert Thomas, who has two assists. Their top players recording two points over five games tell you everything you need to know about the state of their offense.
Why the Blues Could Cover the Spread/Win
It isn't the best argument, considering the Blues are starting to fall in the category of one of the league's bottom-ten teams. However, it's worth noting that the Panthers' recent hot streak has come against some below-average teams. Florida has won six of their past ten games, but the wins have come against the Anaheim Ducks (twice), the San Jose Sharks, the Los Angeles Kings, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the New York Islanders. That makes four of the wins coming against bottom-five teams in the league. This matchup presents an opportunity for the Blues to distinguish whether they are a contending or lottery team.
Final Panthers-Blues Prediction & Pick
There aren't many reasons to believe in the Blues in this game, and surprisingly, we are getting some value with the Panthers at -170 to win. The Blues' offense has been one of the worst in the league, and their goalies have also been below average. Take the Panthers to win this game and hold the Blues to another quiet night at the offensive end.
Final Panthers-Blues Prediction & Pick: Panthers ML (-170)
