David Perron, Ryan O’Reilly, and the St. Louis Blues will face off against Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, and the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center for a divisional tilt. The puck drops at 9:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 2, and fans at home are able to see the game live on NBC Sports Network.
St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche Odds
St. Louis (+115) is entering this one as the underdog to Colorado (-135), and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at an even 6 goals (-120 under, +100 over).
St. Louis is 26-15 straight up (SU) and has netted 7.5 units for moneyline bettors this season. 22 of its outings have gone under the total, while 19 have gone over and none have pushed. The Blue Notes are 13-8 SU on the road in 2019-20.
St. Louis has converted on 24.0 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a figure that places them in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked seventh overall, and it has successfully killed off 83.6 percent of its penalties..
Averaging 27.2 saves per game with a .921 save percentage, Jordan Binnington (19-10-4) has been the primary option in goal for St. Louis this year. If head coach Craig Berube decides to rest him, however, St. Louis may turn to Jake Allen (7-6-2), who has a .930 save percentage and 2.18 goals against average this year.
Colorado is 23-17 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 3.1 units this year. Through 40 regular season matches, 20 of its games have gone over the total, while 18 have gone under and just two have pushed. It’s 10-9 SU as the home team this year.
The Avalanche have converted on just 19.0 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 22nd overall, and it’s successfully killed off 78.2 percent of all penalties.
Philipp Grubauer (27.9 saves per game) has been the top option in the crease for the Avalanche. Grubauer has 11 wins, 12 losses, and three overtime losses to his credit and has recorded a .911 save percentage and 2.91 goals against average this season.
St. Louis Blues vs. Colorado Avalanche Betting Predictions
Free NHL Pick: SU Winner – Avalanche, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- For both of these clubs, the over has hit in four of their past five matches.
- St. Louis has managed 32.0 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Colorado is averaging 36.6 shots per game over its last five at home.
- Over St. Louis’ last ten games, seven of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 5-2 in those games).
- St. Louis skaters recorded 22.5 hits per game last season, while the Avs forced 21.9 hits per contest.
