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The St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche meet for Game 5 of Western Conference Semifinals Wednesday at Ball Arena in Denver. Colorado leads the series 3-1. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we look at the Blues vs. Avalanche Game 5 odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
The Blues nearly pulled off the upset in Game 1 before losing in overtime at Ball Arena and then picked up the road win in Game 2. If St. Louis wants to extend its season, it needs to win Wednesday, and then the next 2 games.
The Avalanche came alive in 2 road games in St. Louis, outscoring the Blues by an 11-5 margin to push the Blues to the brink of elimination. Colorado tries for its first trip to the Conference Finals since 2002.
Blues at Avalanche 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 7:31 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Blues +190 (bet $100 to win $190) | Avalanche -240 (bet $240 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Blues +1.5 (-122) | Avalanche -1.5 (-102)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
Blues at Avalanche projected goalies
Ville Husso (1-4-0, 3.76 GAA, .884 SV%, 1 SO – postseason) vs. Darcy Kuemper (5-1-0, 2.14 GAA, .917 SV% – postseason)
Husso took over for the injured Jordan Binnington in Game 3, but was unable to stop Colorado from scoring an avalanche of goals. He coughed up 4 goals on 23 shots in relief in Game 3, and 5 more goals on 36 shots in Game 4.
Kuemper has allowed 3 or fewer goals in each of his 7 starts during the postseason. He allowed 3 goals on just 20 shots in Game 4, but the offense picked him up and provided more than enough support.
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Blues at Avalanche picks and predictions
Prediction
Avalanche 4, Blues 3
Money line
The Avalanche (-240) will get this one done, sending the Blues (+190) to the golf course. However, you can’t risk nearly two and a half times your potential return, and this is going to be a close game. St. Louis certainly won’t get quietly into the night.
PASS.
Against the spread
The BLUES +1.5 (-122) are worth a small-unit play in this elimination game. St. Louis has the offensive weapons to make a run at it in Denver, but it will come up just short. It wouldn’t be surprising to see overtime decide this one, and if so, the Blues on the puck line would be a winner.
Over/Under
OVER 6.5 (-108) is also worth a small-unit play, but be careful. We might get off to a slow start, especially as the Blues have the nerves of an elimination game. St. Louis won’t want to make any mistakes, and Colorado won’t want to do anything silly to let the Blues hang around. However, as the game goes on, we’ll see the offense pick up late.
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