A couple of teams that are firmly in playoff contention, the St. Louis Blues and the Colorado Avalanche meet at the Pepsi Center. This divisional matchup will get going at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 18 and it’ll be televised live on Fox Sports Midwest.
St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche Odds
Moneyline and Over/Under (O/U) odds have not yet been posted for this matchup.
St. Louis is 30-18 straight up (SU) and has netted 7.5 units for moneyline bettors this year. 24 of its matches have gone over the total, while another 24 have gone under and none have pushed. This 2019-20 Blues team is 13-10 SU on the road.
St. Louis has converted on 25.4 percent of its power play chances this season, a figure that’s good enough for fifth-best in the NHL. Its penalty kill is ranked 13th overall, and the team’s successfully killed off 81.9 percent of all penalties.
For the team as a whole, St. Louis has been sent to the penalty box just 3.3 times per game this season, and 4.6 per game over its last five road outings. The team has been forced to defend opponent power plays just 7.8 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
With a .915 save percentage and 26.7 saves per game, Jordan Binnington (22-12-5) has been the top option in goal for St. Louis this year. If St. Louis chooses to rest him, however, the team could turn to Jake Allen (8-8-3 record, .926 save percentage, 2.27 goals against average).
The visiting Blues will be led by David Perron and Ryan O’Reilly. Perron (47 points) is up to 20 goals and 27 assists, and has recorded multiple points nine times. O’Reilly has nine goals and 32 assists to his name, and has notched at least one point in 26 games.
On the other side of the ice, Colorado is 26-21 straight up (SU) and has lost 0.7 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 47 regular season contests, 24 of its games have gone over the total, while 20 have gone under and just two have pushed. The team is 12-11 SU at home this year.
Colorado has converted on 19.0 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s right around league average. Its penalty kill is also ranked 22nd overall, and it’s successfully killed off 78.0 percent of all penalties.
Colorado players have been sent to the penalty box 3.8 times per game this season, 3.4 per game over their last five match ups total, and 3.2 per game over their last five home outings. The team’s been forced to defend opponent power plays 8.6 minutes per game over their last five home outings.
Philipp Grubauer has stopped 27.6 shots per game as the primary option in goal for Colorado. Grubauer has 14 wins, 14 losses, and four OT losses to his credit and has maintained a .911 save percentage and 2.81 goals against average this year.
Nathan MacKinnon (27 goals, 41 assists) will pace the offensive counter for the Avalanche.
St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche Free Picks
Free Pick: SU Winner – Avalanche, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- St. Louis has managed 32.0 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Colorado is averaging 39.4 shots per game over its last five home outings.
- Power plays and penalty kills may have a key role in the outcome of this one. The Blues are 14-5 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 24-11 when they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 minutes, total. The Avalanche are 16-9 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 19-10 in games where their penalty minutes are in the single digits.
- Colorado has managed 12.4 takeaways per game over its last five home games, an improvement over its season average of 8.5 takeaways per game (ranked 6th).
- St. Louis is ranked 15th overall this season with 7.8 takeaways per game. That figure has trended higher lately, as it has forced 8.4 takeaways over its last 10 games and 8.6 takeaways over its last five.
- St. Louis might hold the upper hand if this one comes down to the wire. The team’s 13-8 in one-goal games, while Colorado is 5-9 in such games.
