The Colorado Avalanche will look to win their third game in a row when they face off vs the St. Louis Blues tonight. The Avs are coming off a 5-1 win over the Wild and have launched themselves into a playoff spot in the crowded Western Conference standings. Despite the Avalanche’s winning ways, they opened as a +150 dog to get the win at Scottrade Center, where they’ve lost five straight games.
The Blues have struggled recently at 3-7 SU in their last 10 games. After being near the top of the West for the first half of the season, St. Louis now sits on the outside looking in for the playoffs. One of the main reasons has been a lack of scoring as the Blues rank 29th in goals per game since the all-star break and are 7-11 SU in that span.
Although the Blues are in a tailspin, bettors can’t overlook their performance vs the Avalanche. St. Louis is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games vs Colorado and 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home in this matchup.
The Avs, on the other hand, has gotten a huge scoring boost since golden boy Nathan MacKinnon returned to the lineup. Colorado is ranked third in goals per game in March and MacKinnon has placed himself firmly in the Hart Trophy conversation with 33 goals and 82 points, sitting fourth in the scoring parade. It may be hard to fully endorse a moneyline wager for the Avalanche when you consider their record vs the Blues and the fact they’re 1-4 SU in their last five road games.
The total opened at 5.5 and while trends point to an UNDER, the OVER should be on bettors’ radar. The OVER has hit in five of the Avalanche’s last six games with one day off between games and their scoring exploits have been noted. Meanwhile, the Blues have managed to pick up their scoring in March, averaging 3.25 goals per game.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
The visiting Colorado Avalanche opened as +153 moneyline underdogs in this one at most online sportsbooks tracked at OddsShark, including Sportsbook. The total opened at 5.5 for those preferring OVER/UNDER betting; watch for the line updates during the day at Sportsbook.
OddsShark score prediction models pick a 3.6-1.9 result in favor of the Avalanche today. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NHL matchups here.
Colorado Avalanche vs St. Louis Blues Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Colorado Avalanche will try to spoil the party on Thursday; they are 37-24-8 this season, while the Blues are 37-27-5. Colorado is 37-26-6 on the totals; St. Louis is 27-42. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and St. Louis vs Colorado injuries news.
This game puts the Blues, most recently No. 24 in the OddsShark NHL Power Rankings, up against the Avalanche, who rate a No. 21 in the latest survey.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively, the game matches up the St. Louis Blues' No. 24-ranked offense (2.77 goals per game) against a Colorado Avalanche defense that ranks No. 17 at 2.94 goals per game allowed. The Blues power play has clicked at a 15.6% rate while the Avalanche have a 83.68% rate on the penalty kill.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Colorado won its last outing, a 5-1 result against the Wild on March 13. Bettors who backed the Avalanche at +171 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (6) sent PUSH bettors to the payout window.
The Blues were a 4-2 Sportsbook in their most recent outing on the road against the Ducks. That made Sportsbooks of bettors who got St. Louis at +138 on the moneyline, while the total score (6) was good news for OVER bettors.
Next Betting Matchups
Colorado home to Nashville, Friday, March 16
St. Louis home to New York, Saturday, March 17