A couple of teams that have started the new season strongly, the St. Louis Blues and the Calgary Flames take the ice at the Scotiabank Saddledome in a Western Conference showdown. The opening face-off is at 9 p.m. ET on Monday, November 13, and you can catch it live on Sportsnet West.
St. Louis Blues at Calgary Flames Odds
Calgary (-115) is currently favored over St. Louis (-105), and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 6 goals. The odds for betting the total stand at -130 for the under and +110 for the over.
St. Louis is 13-5 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 7.1 units this season. Nine of its games have gone over the total, while another nine have gone under and none have pushed. The Blue Notes are 6-3 SU on the road in 2017-18.
St. Louis has converted on just 15.0 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a mark that’s ranked 27th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 19th overall, and it has successfully killed off 79.3 percent of all penalties.
The Blue Notes, as a collective unit, have been sent to the penalty box just 3.7 times per game overall in the 2017-18 season, and 2.6 per game over its last five road outings. The team’s had to kill penalties just 5.8 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 26.7 saves per game with a .914 save percentage, Jake Allen (9-5-1) has been the best option in goal for St. Louis this season. If it chooses to give him a rest, however, head coach Mike Yeo may turn to Carter Hutton (4-1), who has a .943 save percentage and 1.71 goals against average this year.
Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn will both lead the way for the visiting Blues. Schwartz has 22 points on nine goals and 13 assists, and has recorded multiple points in six different games. Schenn has five goals and 15 assists to his name, and has notched a point in 11 games.
Calgary is 9-7 straight up (SU) and has earned 0.2 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 16 regular season contests, eight of its games have gone over the total, while seven have gone under and just one has pushed. It’s 5-5 SU at home so far this year.
The Flames have converted on just 16.4 percent of their power play chances this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 29th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 75.9 percent of all penalties.
Flames players have been penalized 4.1 times per game in total this season, and 2.4 per game over their last five home outings. The team has had to defend opponent power plays just 6.5 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Mike Smith (30.6 saves per game) has been the primary choice in goal for the Flames. Smith has nine wins and six losses to his credit and has recorded a 2.55 goals against average and a .924 save percentage this year.
The Flames will be led on offense by Johnny Gaudreau (six goals, 16 assists).
St. Louis Blues vs. Calgary Flames Free Picks
Predictions: SU Winner – Blues, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- St. Louis is 2-0 in games decided by a shootout this season while Calgary is 2-0 in shootouts.
- The over has hit in three of Calgary’s last five outings.
- 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 have accounted for the fourth-most hits in the league (25.2 per game), but that number’s down to just 22.6 hits over their last five away games.
