The St. Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins are set to clash at TD Garden in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. NBC will air the action, which gets going at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, May 27.
St. Louis Blues at Boston Bruins Odds
The Bruins (-145) are currently the favorite over the Blues (+125). The Over/Under (O/U) is set at 6 goals and originally opened at -110 for the over and -110 for the under. Those odds have shifted since they opened, and they presently sit at -135 over and +115 under.
Boston is 61-38 straight up (SU) and has netted 7.5 units for moneyline bettors this season. That winning percentage, second-best in the league so far this season, is right in line with what the team posted during the 2017-18 season (50-32). Of its 99 games this season, 41 have gone under the total, while 41 have gone over and just four have pushed. This year, the team’s 35-15 SU at home.
After producing the third-best power-play unit in the regular season (finding net on 27.2 percent of all chances), the Bruins have been able to score on 34.0 percent of their extra-man advantages in the postseason.
The Bruins’ offensive attack attempted 32.8 shots per game in the regular season, resulting in 3.2 goals per outing (ranked 11th overall in the NHL). In the playoffs, the club’s attempting an average of 33.6 shots on goal 3.4 goals per game.
Averaging 26.2 saves per game with a .921 save percentage, Tuukka Rask (39-24-6) has been the best option in goal for the Bruins this year. If head coach Bruce Cassidy decides to give him a breather, however, the team could go with Jaroslav Halak (22-18-18 record, .922 save percentage, 2.34 goals against average).
On the other hand, St. Louis is 57-44 straight up (SU) and has earned 4.8 units for moneyline bettors this year. A total of 51 of its matches have gone under the total, while 43 have gone over and just seven have pushed. The Blues are 28-22 SU as the visiting team this season.
The Blues have scored on 20.7 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that places it in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked ninth overall and it’s successfully killed off 81.0 percent of all opponent power plays.
Jordan Binnington (.922 save percentage and 2.07 goals against average) has been the main option in goal for St. Louis. Binnington is averaging 24.3 saves per game and has 36 wins, 15 losses, and three OT losses to his credit.
St. Louis Blues vs. Boston Bruins Free Picks
Prediction: SU Winner – Bruins, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- The total has gone under in three of Boston’s last five outings.
- Six of St. Louis’ last ten games have been decided by two goals or more. The team is 4-2 in those games.
- St. Louis skaters registered 23.1 hits per game last season, while the Bruins accounted for 24.3 hits per matchup.
