Blues vs Flames NHL Odds, Picks, Predictions

Blues vs. Flames Odds

Two underperforming Western Conference squads will go head-to-head on Friday night, when the Calgary Flames host the St. Louis Blues.

The Flames are hovering on the edge of the playoff picture, and are now winless in their last four games, with a record of 0-1-3. At 14-15-1, the Blues are three points further back in the weeds, but have picked up points in their last three games.

Here's the latest on both sides of Blues vs. Flames and your best bet for the game.

St. Louis Blues

In a rollercoaster season, the Blues have been trending in a more positive direction this week. They're 3-1-1 in their last five games and kicked off their five-game Western road trip with a comeback win over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.

Jordan Binnington picked up the shootout victory on Thursday, and seems to have rediscovered his form after a bit of a rough patch. But Binnington's start against the Oilers probably means backup Thomas Greiss will get the start against the Flames — and his numbers this season haven't been great. He has a record of 3-4-0, with an .899 save percentage and -2.7 goals saved above expected.

Even with winning streaks factored in, the Blues' team stats for the year aren't particularly good. Their goals against mark is among the worst in the league, their penalty killing is grim, and their expected goals rate at 5-on-5 is also in the bottom half of the league.

St. Louis did get a lineup boost on Thursday night. Winger Pavel Buchnevich picked up an assist in his return to action after missing four games with an undisclosed injury.

Calgary Flames

Last year, the Flames were rock solid in the regular season at both ends of the ice. This season, they've shown some vulnerability after going through a major roster overhaul.

That has bumped them from the top of the Pacific Division onto the playoff bubble. Their 5-on-5 game is still decent, with an expected goals share of 52.3%, but the only strong stat in their basic numbers is their penalty kill, which is a solid 81.7%.

Calgary's overall offense, defense and power play are all hovering in the lower half of the league. And the Flames' goaltending is a bit of a brain-bender. Both Jacob Markstron and Daniel Vladar currently have decent goals-against averages of 2.81, but it's actually the Vezina finalist Markstrom who's at 5.6 goals saved above expected, while Vladar is at -2.5.

Although Markstrom is just 1-3-2 in his last six games, he has also allowed a very respectable 13 goals during that stretch after a rough patch earlier in the year. Whether it's him or Vladar on Friday, the Flames' netminding should be solid.

Key defenseman Chris Tanev was sidelined after taking a slapshot to the head during the Flames' 2-1 shootout loss in Montreal on Monday. Though he was deemed well enough to fly home with the team after the game, it's not yet clear when he'll be able to return to the ice.

Blues vs. Flames Pick

This is a tough one. Both the Blues and the Flames have been playing below expectations this season, and neither team has a secret weapon that gives it a distinct edge in this game.

Because St. Louis played in Edmonton on Thursday and went all the way to a shootout, the visitors will be at a distinct schedule disadvantage on Friday. And Thomas Greiss is a goaltender who often gives the opposition room to win.

That seems to be what the oddsmakers believe. At -220 as of this writing, they're assigning the Flames about a 65% chance of victory. And Calgary has been much better at home than on the road this season, with a record of 10-5-2 at the Saddledome.

But -194 isn't a particularly appealing line for bettors, and the Flames' current lack of scoring punch makes it hard to entertain the idea of a puck-line bet where they'd take down St. Louis by two goals or more.

With both squads struggling to light the lamp consistently — and seemingly finding ways to beat themselves at times — consider the Under. FanDuel is offering even-money odds, but If you're feeling a bit more conservative, an under of -6.5 will boast a decent return.

Pick: Under 6 (+100); play down to -115

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