The Minnesota Wild take on the struggling St. Louis Blues for just the second time this season on Friday night in the first of a three-game series. The Wild won the lone meeting a couple of weeks ago, beating the Blues 2-0 at home as goalie Cam Talbot made 37 saves for the shutout.
- Date/Time: April 9, 8 p.m. ET
- Arena: Enterprise Center
- TV Coverage: NHL
- Sportsbook Odds: Blues -109 | O/U 5.5 (Line History)
- Wild vs Blues Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The game opened with the Blues as favorites at -109 and the line has since moved to EVEN odds at most sportsbooks. The total opened at 5.5 and has stayed at that number with the UNDER favored in the -117 to -132 range depending on the book.
Minnesota News & Notes
The Minnesota Wild sit comfortably in third place in the West Division, seven points up on fourth-place Arizona with two games in hand. Though they may be a surprise team this season to some, the Wild’s underlying numbers show they are one of the top teams in the league.
The Wild rank fifth in high-danger scoring chances for percentage (HDCF%) as they have created an average number of high-danger chances but have given up the second-fewest in the NHL. That stingy defense is also reflected in their No. 11 ranking in expected goals for percentage (xGF%). Though they rank below average in expected goals for, the Wild rank eighth in expected goals against.
The Wild have also had a huge boost this season from Calder Trophy favorite Kirill Kaprizov. The rookie leads the team with 16 goals and 34 points in 38 games.
St. Louis News & Notes
The St. Louis Blues are 1-7 in their last eight games and suddenly find themselves outside the playoffs. The Blues are three points behind Arizona with a game in hand, so it’s not exactly a great time to be playing their worst hockey of the season.
The Blues’ underlying numbers have not been favorable for much of the season, however, as they rank 21st in xGF% and 28th in HDCF%. The latter stat is particularly worrying as it is a clear indication of how hard it has been for the Blues to generate chances as well as prevent them.
It is also difficult to blame the poor play on injuries as the team is now almost completely healthy after suffering through a series of injuries earlier in the season.
The goaltending has also been a sore spot for the team as starter Jordan Binnington has been average at best, sporting an 11-11-5 record with a .909 save percentage.
Betting Pick: Wild -110
The Wild are the better team. They have the better underlying numbers, are better defensively and are getting better goaltending. Why the Blues were even favored in the Sportsbook lines is a bit of a mystery, so we are all over the Wild at EVEN odds or better at some books.
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Buy Sports Picks Now- Minnesota is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of St. Louis’ last 7 games.
- Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games vs St. Louis.
