The St. Louis Blues (27-30-10) and Calgary Flames (26-34-7) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 9:30 p.m. EDT at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Blues are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 5.5 (-115o / -105u). The Blues are a -125 favorite to win outright, while the Flames are +105 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Blues vs. Flames predictions and NHL picks.
Blues vs. Flames Odds, Pick
| Blues Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +199 | 5.5 -115o / -105u | -125 |
| Flames Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -247 | 5.5 -115o / -105u | +105 |
- Blues vs. Flames Spread: Blues -1.5 (+199), Flames +1.5 (-247)
- Blues vs. Flames Over/Under: 5.5 (-115o / -105u)
- Blues vs. Flames Moneyline: Blues -125, Flames +105
Blues vs. Flames Preview
St. Louis Blues
It’s quite a long shot, but the Blues are inching closer to a playoff berth.
For a team that was once considered destined for the lottery, St. Louis came out of the Olympic break not just trading their captain, Brayden Schenn, but going 7-2-1.
Goaltending has played a substantial role in this surge, as both Joel Hofer has seemingly taken control of the number-one goaltender spot, and Jordan Binnington took advantage of his impressive Olympic performance, parlaying it into a solid second half of the season.
With Binnington starting more recently against Winnipeg, expect Hofer to get the nod, where he’s played to a .957 SV% since returning from the break, and a 7.4 GSAx in his last 10 starts.
Beyond goaltending, St. Louis has also received exceptional play from Jimmy Snuggerud, who has 10 points in his last six games, Dylan Holloway with nine points in his last six, and Robert Thomas with 11 points in his last eight games.
So it hasn’t been just a one-man show.
The Blues' power play has been almost nonexistent, so most of their skating success has come from 5-on-5 play, and a quality penalty kill that has shown up for most of the month.
Calgary Flames
On the other side of the coin, the Flames are just getting ready for the offseason.
It’s been a totally lost season, but it helps their long-term outlook after trading Nazem Kadri, who had a heavy cap hit and three more years left on his contract.
In the month of March, Calgary has gone 2-6-1, with a bottom-five 5-on-5 game. It’s played to a 44.32 xGF% and a 3.3 xGA/60, while owning the second-worst power play in the league.
This is a team that has spread the wealth more than enough. Four players have scored 15 goals, while the team’s leading scorer is Blake Coleman with 16.
Beyond that, there’s not much to get excited about here.
Goaltending has surprisingly been a bright spot with Devin Cooley being one of the better backups in the league, and Dustin Wolf has held his own, all things considered.
You can’t go wrong with either of these netminders, but the defense will leave either of them out to fend for themselves.
Blues vs. Flames Prediction
To the surprise of no one here, the Blues are the favorite, but it’s a surprise that the value hasn’t shifted extensively into their favor.
FanDuel only has them as -128 favorites, which I think is great value to move forward with.
In the 10 games that St. Louis has played since returning from the Olympics, the Blues have been on the road for six of them and have won in five.
Meanwhile, the Flames hold a nice 16-12-4 record at home, but especially since they’re without Kadri and Rasmus Andersson, that home advantage isn’t as strong anymore.
Since January 1, they’re 4-7-2 in front of their home fans.
I’m projecting the Blues to come out on top here with a strong bounce-back after losing to the Jets on Sunday.
Pick: Blues ML (-128)
