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The St. Louis Blues will face the Dallas Stars on Saturday in Texas. It will be a Central Division showdown as we share our NHL odds series and make a Blues-Stars prediction and pick.
The Blues have won 51 games in the past 97 meetings against the Stars, including nine overtime winners. These divisional rivals will play for the first time this season. They split the series last season, with the home team winning each game. Significantly, they have split the past 10 games. The Stars are 4-1 at home over the past five games against the Blues.
Here are the Blues-Stars NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Blues-Stars Odds
St. Louis Blues: +1.5 (-128)
Moneyline: +202
Dallas Stars: -1.5 (+104)
Moneyline: -250
Over: 5.5 (-138)
Under: 5.5 (+112)
How To Watch Blues vs Stars
Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
TV: ESPN +, Victory +, and FanDuel Sports Missouri
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Blues Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Blues are struggling to keep pace with the rest of the Western Conference. Unfortunately, scoring has been an issue. The Blues have some talented players. But they need to do more to pull this team forward.
Jordan Kyrou has netted 11 goals and 14 assists, including two conversions on the powerplay. However, he must find more of a scoring touch to lead the Blues to more prosperity on offense. Robert Thomas has added five goals and 15 assists through 18 games. Significantly, he is in the middle of a five-game point streak. Thomas has been exceptional in the faceoff circle, winning 207 draws and losing 156. Meanwhile, Pavel Buchnevich has tallied seven goals and 12 assists. Buchnevich has struggled to win faceoffs. Unfortunately, he has won just 72 draws and lost 127.
The Blues are just 25th in goals and 23rd in assists. Furthermore, the Blues are also struggling to shoot, ranking 25th in shooting percentage. The extra-man attack has not gone well, either, as the Blues are just 25th on the powerplay.
Things are still good in the net as Jordan Binnington set a franchise record for most wins by a Blues' goalie. Binnington comes in with a record of 8-11-2 with a 2.98 goals-against average and a save percentage of .896. He backs a defense that is struggling to keep pucks out of the net, as the Blues rank just 22nd in goals against. Additionally, they have not done a good job in killing penalties, ranking 23rd on the penalty kill.
The Blues will cover the spread if they can win faceoffs and gain extra possessions to gain scoring chances. Then, the defense must cut the angles and not allow the Stars to fire direct shots at the net.
Why the Stars Could Cover the Spread/Win
Winning is all that matters in Dallas, and the Stars will make deals at the trade deadline. They have some talented players on the current roster who can help pick the Stars up.
Matt Duchene has been great, with 12 goals and 17 assists, including three notches on the powerplay. Additionally, he has been great in the faceoff circle, winning 128 draws and losing 111. Mason Marchment has been a pleasant surprise for the Stars. So far, he has 12 goals and 15 assists. The Stars will be without Tyler Seguin in the foreseeable future. Therefore, they need other weapons like Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston to step up.
The Stars have sometimes found their scoring touch, ranking 12th in goals and 10th in assists. Also, they have inconsistent shooting nights, ranking 15th in shooting percentage. Things have been tough with the extra man, as the Stars are only 26th on the powerplay.
Jake Oettinger will likely be the starting goalie. So far, he is 14-7 with a 2.46 goals-against average and a save percentage of .911. He will play behind a defense that is the best in the NHL, ranking first in goals against. Likewise, they have thrived on killing penalties, ranking sixth on the penalty kill.
The Stars will cover the spread if they can gain some time on the powerplay. Then, they must frustrate the Blues by checking them and not allowing them room to maneuver.
Final Blues-Stars Prediction & Pick
The Blues are 17-13 against the spread, while the Stars are 13-15 against the odds. Moreover, the Blues are 11-6 against the spread on the road, while the Stars are 10-4 against the odds at home. The Blues are 12-14-4 against the over/under, while the Stars are 10-15-3 against the over/under.
The Stars have looked like a significantly different team at home than on the road. Plus, the home team has been strangely good lately in this series. I am counting on that trend continuing, with the Stars overwhelming the Blues at home and covering the spread.
Final Blues-Stars Prediction & Pick: Stars -1.5 (+104)
