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The St. Louis Blues have been on a hot streak since hiring Jim Montgomery, which includes a win over a top team in the league in their last game. They'll attempt to continue their Western Canadian road trip with another victory when they visit the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. Despite the expectations, the Flames had a hot start to the season but are beginning to prove the pundits right with their recent performances. It may not get any easier in this game, as the Blues dominate the Flames with eight wins in their past ten games. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Blues-Flames prediction and pick.
Here are the Blues-Flames NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Blues-Flames Odds
St. Louis Blues: +1.5 (-245)
Moneyline: +110
Calgary Flames: -1.5 (+200)
Moneyline: -130
Over: 5.5 (-110)
Under: 5.5 (-110)
How To Watch Blues vs. Flames
Time: 9 PM ET/6 PM PT
TV: Sportsnet 1, Fanduel Sports Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Blues Could Cover the Spread/Win
Montgomery has been a massive help for the Blues, and it is showing with their offensive output. The Blue's most significant problem has been their offense, but they are rolling in their four games under the new head coach. They scored five goals against the New York Rangers, three against the New Jersey Devils, and four against the Winnipeg Jets. That's 12 goals in three games on Igor Shesterkin, Jacob Markstrom, and Connor Hellebuyck, three of the better goaltenders in the league.
Why the Flames Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Flames are coming off an emotional night at Scotiabank Saddledome, as the Columbus Blue Jackets visited for the only time this season. The Blue Jackets, of course, are the former team of the late Johnny Gaudreau, who achieved his superstar status as a Flames player. It was sure to be an emotional meeting when the Blue Jackets visited, and Calgary didn't disappoint with their tribute to Gaudreau. The Flames rode the wave of emotions and shut out the Blue Jackets 3-0.
It was their first win in four games after a four-game winning streak. Thanks to their hot start, the Flames sit in the first wild-card spot but are in danger of falling out with two teams, including their Alberta rivals, within striking distance. Calgary doesn't have the most straightforward upcoming schedule, as they visit the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators before hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning back in Calgary. The Blues and Predators matchups will be their best chance to keep pace.
The biggest reason the Flames outperformed their expectations early in the season is that they didn't experience an enormous dropoff from Jacob Markstrom's loss as expected. Craig Conroy shipped Markstom to the New Jersey Devils to promote Dustin Wolf full-time, but most expected a learning curve for the former American Hockey League MVP. However, he is 8-4-1 this season with a 2.59 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. Dan Vladar started the last two games, which means Wolf should be in the net for this one.
Final Blues-Flames Prediction & Pick
The Blues have been dominant against the Flames, with three consecutive wins and seven of the last eight. Now that Montgomery is there, the trend shouldn't stop, and it'll likely be even more enhanced. The Blues have 4+ goals in six of their past seven wins against the Flames.
Final Blues-Flames Prediction & Pick: Blues ML (+110)
