The Minnesota Wild try to stave off elimination against the St. Louis Blues Thursday in Game 6 of their 1st-round Western Conference playoff series. The Blues lead the series 3-2. Puck drop from Enterprise Center is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we look at the Wild vs. Blues odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
We went against the grain and nailed it in Game 5 as the Blues took down the Wild 5-2 on the road. The Blues scored first, but the Wild answered and led 2-1 after the 1st period. St. Louis tied it late in the 2nd before RW Vladimir Tarasenko took over in the 3rd period with 3 goals to seal the deal.
Wild LW Kirill Kaprizov continued his dynamic play with 2 power-play goals. “Kirill the Thrill” has 7 goals and an assist in the series. Minnesota will bring everything they have Thursday trying to force a Game 7 back home.
Wild at Blues odds and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:06 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Wild -110 (bet $110 to win $100) | Blues -110 (bet $110 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Wild +1.5 (-280) | Blues -1.5 (+195)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -102 | U: -122)
Wild at Blues projected goalies
Marc-Andre Fleury (28-23-5, 2.90 GAA, .908 SV%, 4 SO – regular season) vs. Jordan Binnington (18-14-4, 3.13 GAA, .901 SV%, 2 SO – regular season)
Fleury has taken a step back with 4 goals allowed in each of the last 2 games. We mentioned Game 5 was his 14th start in the last 38 days. Do they go to Cam Talbot here, who hasn’t played in more than 2 weeks? Anything is possible, but it’s likely “The Flower” once again. Fleury has a .906 SV% in the series, and he’ll have to keep the Blues under 4 goals to win.
Binnington had another great game, stopping 30 of 32 shots, and Minnesota didn’t score at even strength. Binner has a .935 SV% and has only allowed 2 goals in each game. However, it has been his movement of the puck that has been the biggest difference. He has corralled rebounds and limited the Wild’s chances.
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Wild at Blues picks and predictions
Prediction
Blues 5, Wild 3
Money line
The books have this one as a pick ’em, but they really have underrated the Blues this entire series. When St. Louis has lost, it lost its way — traveling too far for hits or because a defenseman was injured in each of the first 4 games.
D Torey Krug (knee) is out, and D Marco Scandella (lower body) is iffy, too. However, the reinforcements of D Nick Leddy and D Robert Bortuzzo lifted them in Game 5. I picked the Blues in 6 before the series, and that’s where we stand. BLUES -110 is the play, and according to Pregame.com, 70% of the cash is on that outcome.
Against the spread
The team that has scored first has won every game in the series, and every result has been by at least 3 goals. If you’re taking the Blues to end the series Thursday, we’re going with BLUES -1.5 (+195). They have been one of the better puck line teams in hockey all season.
Over/Under
The O/U is 3-2 in the series, 7-2 in the last 9 meetings and 4-1 in the last 5 in St. Louis. It’ll take 4 or 5 goals to win this one. If you’re more comfortable taking the Blues money line and puck line, then passing on the O/U makes sense. However, because of the firepower both offenses possess, we’ll LEAN OVER 6.5 (-102).
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