The St. Louis Blues will travel to St. Paul to battle the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center on Sunday night. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Blues-Wild prediction and pick.
On Saturday, the Blues lost 5-4 in overtime to the Montreal Canadiens. Significantly, Nikita Alexandrov had a goal and an assist. Brandon Saad, Pavel Buchnevich, and Alexy Toropchenko all added goals. Unfortunately, Jordan Binnington struggled in net, allowing five goals on 27 shots. The Blues were 1 for 3 on the powerplay. Additionally, the Blues won 56 percent of their faceoffs. But the Habs dominated the hits category, outhitting the Blues 21-12.
On Saturday, the Wild lost 6-5 in overtime to the Buffalo Sabres. Initially, the Wild entered the third period trailing 4-3. But Marcus Foligno tied the game with his fourth goal of the season. Then, Joel Eriksson Ek tallied his 14th goal to put Minnesota ahead before Buffalo sent it into overtime with a goal. Ryan Hartman, Kirill Kaprizov, and Brandon Duhainne all scored for the Wild. Unfortunately, Marc-Andre Fleury allowed six goals on 37 shots.
The Blues went 3-0 against the Wild last season. Additionally, it will be the second meeting for the teams. The Wild defeated the Blues 5-2 on December 31 in St. Louis. Substantially, Hartman had two goals in the contest, and Jared Spurgeon added a goal and an assist for the Wild. Jordan Kyrou contributed two helpers for the Blues. Initially, it looked like the Blues would win as they led 1-0 early. But things turned sour toward the later parts of the game.
The Blues and Wild are very familiar with one another, sharing a division. Moreover, the Blues eliminated the Wild from the playoffs last season.
Here are the Blues-Wild NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Blues-Wild Odds
St. Louis Blues: +1.5 (-152)
Minnesota Wild: -1.5 (+124)
Over: 6.5 (-122)
Under: 6.5 (-108)
How To Watch Blues vs. Wild
TV: USA Network
Stream: ESPN +
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Blues Could Cover The Spread
The Blues are 19-18-3 and four points behind the Edmonton Oilers for the final wildcard spot. Thus, they must find ways to get back in the win column.
Kyrou has 19 goals and 19 assists. Moreover, he has seven powerplay goals. Robert Thomas has 10 goals and 27 assists. Likewise, he has tallied three markers on the powerplay. Buchnevich has 12 goals and 20 assists. Additionally, he has five powerplay tallies. Schenn has eight goals and 22 assists. Significantly, he has placated two powerplay goals. The Blues are 19th in goals and 1oth in shooting percentage. Moreover, they are 12th on the powerplay.
Thomas Greiss likely will start today on the second day of a back-to-back. Consequently, he has not done well this year. Greiss is 4-5 with a goals-against average of 3.55 and a save percentage of .903. Additionally, he is 26th in goals allowed. The Blues are 30th on the penalty kill.
Why The Wild Could Cover The Spread
The Wild are 22-13-3 and clinging to third place in the Central Division. Therefore, they continue to thrive and have positioned themselves in good standing if they can continue to stay consistent.
Kaprizov has 22 goals and 25 assists. Moreover, he has converted 10 goals on the powerplay. Mats Zuccarello has 16 goals and 24 assists, with six tallies on the powerplay. Similarly, Eriksson Ek has 13 goals and 16 assists. He has tallied five goals on special teams. Likewise, Matt Boldy has 12 goals and 17 assists. But the Wild still needs more scoring. Unfortunately, they rank 22nd in goals. The Wild are also 14th in shooting percentage and 14th on the powerplay. Thus, they must find ways to remain consistent and score goals.
Filip Gustavsson could start for the Wild today. However, he has been under the weather for the last few days and might miss the game. Gustavsson is 9-5-1 with a goals-against average of 2.94 and a save percentage of .901. Ultimately, the Wild have a backup plan if he cannot go. Minnesota called up goalie Zane McIntyre from the minors and he may start if Gustavsson cannot. Therefore, either goalie could start behind a defense that is third in goals allowed. The Wild are also 14th on the penalty kill.
The Wild could cover the spread if their stars find ways to get the puck into the net. Moreover, Minnesota must continue to play tight defense.
Final Blues-Wild Prediction & Pick
The Blues and the Wild almost always play tight battles. Conversely, it did not go that way on New Years Eve. But there are always anomolies. Therefore, expect this contest to return to the mean. The Wild and the Blues engage in a close battle, with St. Louis covering.
Final Blues-Wild Prediction & Pick: St. Louis Blues: +1.5 (-152)
Follow Us
Subscribe