In their fifth and final head-to-head meeting of the regular season, the St. Louis Blues and the Colorado Avalanche meet at the Pepsi Center in a Central Division tilt. The match gets going at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 7, and it’s being televised live on Altitude Sports & Entertainment.
St. Louis Blues vs. Colorado Avalanche Odds
Colorado (-125) is currently favored over St. Louis (+105) and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals. The line for betting that total stands at -110 for the over and -110 for the under.
St. Louis is 44-37 straight up (SU) and has lost 3.6 units for moneyline bettors thus far. 46 of its contests have gone under the total, while 33 have gone over and just one has pushed. As an away team in 2017-18, the Blue Notes are 20-20 SU.
St. Louis has converted on just 15.2 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a mark that places them in the bottom- overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 17th in the league, and it’s successfully killed off 79.7 percent of all penalties.
The Blue Notes, as a collective unit, have been penalized just 3.3 times per game this season, and 2.0 per game over its last five on the road. The team has been forced to defend opponent power plays just 4.9 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
With a .906 save percentage and 24.6 saves per game, Jake Allen (27-31-3) has been the primary option in goal for St. Louis this season. If it decides to give him a rest, however, the team may roll with Carter Hutton (18-14-3), who has a .931 save percentage and 2.09 goals against average this year.
Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko will both lead the offensive attack for the visiting Blues. Schenn has 68 points via 27 goals and 41 assists, and has recorded two or more points 15 times. Tarasenko has 33 goals and 33 assists to his credit (and has registered at least one point in 44 games).
On the other bench, Colorado is 42-39 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 8.3 units this season. 41 of its matches have gone over the total, while 33 have gone under and just seven have pushed. The team is 27-13 SU at home this season.
The Avalanche have converted on 21.9 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that places it in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked fourth overall, and it’s successfully killed off 83.5 percent of all penalties.
Colorado players have been penalized 3.9 times per game in total this season, and 1.8 per game over their last five at home. The team has had to stave off opponent power plays just 5.5 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Semyon Varlamov (28.8 saves per game) has been the top selection in goal for the Avalanche. Varlamov has 26 wins, 25 losses, and six OT losses and has recorded a pedestrian 2.68 goals against average and a .920 save percentage this season.
Nathan MacKinnon (38 goals, 57 assists) will pace the offensive counter for the Avalanche.
St. Louis Blues vs. Colorado Avalanche Free Picks
NHL Prediction: SU Winner – Avalanche, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- St. Louis is 3-0 in games decided by a shootout this season while Colorado is 2-1 in shootouts.
- The under has hit in three of Colorado’s last five games.
- Colorado has averaged 3.1 goals per game overall this season, but has been averaging 2.0 goals per contest over its three-game losing streak.
- St. Louis skaters have accounted for the ninth-most hits in the league (23.0 per game).
