Two teams that are firmly in the playoff hunt, the St. Louis Blues and the Edmonton Oilers clash at Rogers Place. This Western Conference matchup will get going at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, January 31, and it will be televised live on Sportsnet West.
St. Louis Blues vs. Edmonton Oilers Odds
St. Louis (-130) is currently favored over Edmonton (+110), and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at an even 6 goals. The line for betting that total stands at -105 for the over and -115 on the under.
St. Louis is 31-20 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 6.2 units this season. Through 51 regular season matches, 26 of its games have gone over the total, while 25 have gone under and none have pushed. The Blue Notes are 14-12 SU as the away team in 2019-20.
St. Louis has converted on 25.2 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s good enough for fourth-best in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 16th overall, and it has successfully killed off 81.2 percent of its penalties.
St. Louis, as a collective unit, has been penalized 3.3 times per game overall during the 2019-20 season, and 4.2 per game over its last five on the road. The team has had to stave off opponent power plays just 7.8 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
With a .911 save percentage and 26.2 saves per game, Jordan Binnington (23-13-5) has been the primary option in goal for St. Louis this season. If head coach Craig Berube chooses to rest him, however, the team may roll with Jake Allen (8-10-3 record, .926 save percentage, 2.21 goals against average).
The visiting Blues have relied on David Perron and Ryan O’Reilly heavily this year. Perron has 52 points on 22 goals and 30 assists, and has recorded multiple points in 10 different games. O’Reilly has nine goals and 35 assists to his name, and has registered a point in 28 games.
On the other side of the rink, Edmonton is 26-24 straight up (SU) and has netted moneyline bettors 3.4 units this year. 25 of its matches have gone over the total, while 23 have gone under and just two have pushed. It’s 12-12 SU as the home team this season.
Edmonton enters the matchup with the second-strongest power-play unit in the NHL, as it has found the net on 29.6 percent of its extra-man advantages this season. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 11th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 82.3 percent of all opponent power plays.
Edmonton skaters have been penalized 3.4 times per game this season, 3.2 per game over their last five contests total, and 3.2 per game over their last five home outings. The team has been forced to stave off opponent power plays just 7.6 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Mikko Koskinen (27.9 saves per game) has been the top netminder in the crease for Edmonton. Koskinen has 14 wins, 13 losses, and two OT losses to his name and has registered a pedestrian 2.90 goals against average and a .910 save percentage this season.
The home team offense will be led by Connor McDavid (27 goals, 50 assists) and Leon Draisaitl (27 goals, 50 assists).
St. Louis Blues at Edmonton Oilers Free Picks
Pick: SU Winner – Blues, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- Edmonton is 2-2 in games decided by a shootout this season while St. Louis is 1-3 in shootouts.
- For both of these clubs, the game went over the total in three of their last five matchups.
- Over Edmonton’s last ten outings, seven of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 6-1 in those games).
- St. Louis skaters registered 22.5 hits per game last season, while the Oilers forced 26.7 hits per contest.
