The Vegas Golden Knights (16-6-1) continue a six-game road trip with the start of a two-game set against the St. Louis Blues (14-8-4) at Enterprise Center Friday. Puck drop will be shortly after 8 p.m. ET between the first- and second-place teams in the West Division. Below, we analyze the Golden Knights-Blues odds and lines, with NHL picks and predictions.
The first-place Golden Knights are coming off back-to-back losses to the Minnesota Wild Monday and Wednesday in which they were outscored 6-3. They had previously won six straight games.
The Blues have gone to overtime in three straight games and are coming off back-to-back losses of their own on the heels of a four-game winning streak. They return home following a six-game road swing.
Golden Knights at Blues: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:14 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Golden Knights -110 (bet $110 to win $100) | Blues -105 (bet $105 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Golden Knights -1.5 (+230) | Blues +1.5 (-300)
- Over/Under: 5.5 (O: -120 | U: +100)
Golden Knights at Blues: Projected starting goalies
Logan Thompson (0-0-0, 1.000 SV%, 0.00 GAA) vs. Jordan Binnington (9-6-3, .908 SV%, 2.69 GAA)
Thompson, a 24-year-old former undrafted free agent, has appeared in just one NHL game. He stopped both shots he faced in 8:15 of crease time against the Wild Wednesday. Starter Marc-Andre Fleury was just placed in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols, and Robin Lehner remains on an AHL conditioning stint.
Binnington just signed a six-year, $36-million contract extension. He’s having a down season but will look to prove himself after allowing 4 goals on 34 shots in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings Saturday. He stopped 42 of 46 shots in a Jan. 26 win over the Knights.
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Golden Knights at Blues: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Blues 4, Golden Knights 1
Money line (ML)
The BLUES (-105) are slight underdogs despite several factors stacked in their favor. They’re returning home from a lengthy road trip, have a motivated (and highly paid) goaltender, and will be facing a third-string netminder in his first NHL start.
Golden Knights RW Mark Stone is back in the lineup, but D Alex Pietrangelo (upper body) is expected to remain sidelined. The Blues have a lengthy injury list, but RW Vladimir Tarasenko has returned and should get his first goal(s) of the season against the inexperienced Thompson.
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Against the spread (ATS)
Go to the alternate lines and back the BLUES -1.5 (+260) to win by 2 or more goals as the best value play on the NHL docket Friday.
Vegas is ninth in the league in 5-on-5 Corsi For percentage while St. Louis is just 19th, but the Blues are much closer in terms of scoring chances for at full strength.
Over/Under (O/U)
Back the UNDER 5.5 (+100) while expecting one of Binnington’s best outings of the season on home ice and with his new contract in tow.
Both teams played to the Under in two of their last three games.
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