The St. Louis Blues, led by David Perron and Ryan O’Reilly, are preparing to take the ice against Jake Guentzel, Evgeni Malkin, and the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in an East-West showdown. The opening face-off takes place at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 4, and fans at home can witness the game live on NBC Sports Network.
St. Louis Blues vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Odds
The Penguins (-145) are being labeled as the favorites over the Blues (+125) and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 6 goals (-105 for the over, -115 for the under).
St. Louis is 18-11 straight up (SU) and has netted 4.3 units for moneyline bettors this season. Through 29 regular season matches, 17 of its games have gone under the total, while 12 have gone over and none have pushed. This 2019-20 Blues team is 10-5 SU on the road.
St. Louis has converted on 25.8 percent of its power play chances this season, a figure that places them in the top-5 among NHL teams. On the other hand, it has the fifth-best penalty kill in the league, and it’s successfully killed off 85.4 percent of all penalties..
Averaging 28.6 saves per game with a .926 save percentage, Jordan Binnington (13-8-4) has been the primary option in goal for St. Louis this year. If it chooses to give him a rest, however, head coach Craig Berube could turn to Jake Allen (5-3-2), who has a .926 save percentage and 2.35 goals against average this year.
On the other bench, Pittsburgh is 14-13 straight up (SU) and has lost 2.6 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 27 regular season matches, 13 of its games have gone over the total, while another 13 have gone under and just one has pushed. This year, the team is 10-5 SU at home.
The Penguins have converted on just 16.7 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 15th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 81.7 percent of all penalties.
Matt Murray (23.9 saves per game) has been the primary choice in goal for the Penguins. Murray has 10 wins, 10 losses, and four OT losses to his credit and has registered a fairly-weak .897 save percentage and 2.84 goals against average this season.
St. Louis Blues at Pittsburgh Penguins Free Picks
Prediction: SU Winner – Penguins, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- For both of these clubs, the over has hit in three of their past five games.
- St. Louis has managed 31.0 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Pittsburgh is averaging 37.6 shots per game over its last five home outings.
- Seven of St. Louis’ last ten games have been decided by two goals or more. The team is 5-2 in those games.
- The Pens this season have recorded the third-most hits per game in the NHL (28.5), but that average has risen to 32.4 over their last five home outings.
