NHL Odds, Pick, Prediction: Jets vs. Blues (Jan. 29)
Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images. Pictured: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
- The Winnipeg Jets hit the road for Saturday's clash with the St. Louis Blues.
- The hosts are -175 favorites, but this game should feature plenty of goals.
- Tony Sartori breaks down this meeting and explains why he thinks offenses steal the spotlight.
Jets vs. Blues Odds
| Jets Odds | +150 |
| Blues Odds | -175 |
| Over/Under | 6 |
| Time | 3 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Jets travel into St. Louis on Saturday for a Central Division battle. This will be the third contest between these teams, with the Blues winning the first meeting in a 3-2 overtime clash and the Jets taking the most recent game in a 4-2 victory.
Can the Jets pull off another win or will the Blues enter their break on a positive note? Let's take a look.
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg has been in poor form recently, as it has now lost six games in a row. The Jets have been battling injuries and COVID-19 during this stretch, with nine guys currently on the inactive list.
The recent poor performances have displayed how bad the Jets have been in their defensive zone. Currently, Winnipeg ranks 26th in the league in 5-on-5 expected goals against per 60 minues (xGA).
The Jets' problem defensively is that they're giving up a ton of good looks to opposing shooters, as they rank 20th in the league in opposing 5-on-5 shots on net percentage. Not only are they giving up a ton of shots, but they are giving up high-danger shots as they have the seventh highest 5-on-5 average xG value of opposing shot attempts.
During their six game losing streak, Winnipeg has given up an average of 4.17 goals per game. The Jets' special teams metrics also suggest today's game will be high scoring, as they rank 12th in the league in power play percentage and 28th in penalty killing. The total goals scored has reached or gone over six in 15 of their last 21 games.
St. Louis Blues
High-scoring games has also been a notable trend in Blues' games recently, as the total has reached or gone over six in nine of their last 13 games. Just like the Jets, the Blues' defensive corps has been giving up dangerous scoring chances all season.
St. Louis ranks 28th in the league in 5-on-5 expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA) and 28th in opposing 5-on-5 shots on net percentage. These shots are not just blue line flicks toward the net, as they have the 10th-highest 5-on-5 average expected goal value of opposing shot attempts.
On the other hand, the Blues' offense has been dangerous as they pepper opposing goaltenders with high-danger shots. St. Louis ranks second in 5-on-5 shots on net percentage and has the 10th-highest average expected goal value of 5-on-5 shot attempts.
These metrics make a ton of sense as the forward lines are extremely deep in St. Louis, as they have two third-liners in double digits for goal scoring. The Blues have scored five or more goals in four of their last six games.
Jets vs. Blues Pick
This matchup has seen some high-scoring games over the past couple seasons. The total has reached at least six goals in four of the last six meetings between these two teams.
With both teams' deep offenses and poor blue lines, I like this game to have another high-scoring affair.
Pick: Total Over 6 Goals (-105 | Play to -115)
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