The St. Louis Blues (0-0-0) open the season on the road against the Colorado Avalanche (1-0-0) Saturday at Ball Arena in Denver. Puck drop is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Blues vs. Avalanche odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
The Blues open their season against the team that ended their playoffs last season. The Colorado Avalanche swept St. Louis, outscoring the Blues 20-7 in a lopsided series.
The Avalanche have one game under their belt, doubling up the Chicago Blackhawks behind new tendy Darcy Kuemper. Rearguards Bowen Byram and Jack Johnson helped pick up the slack with superstar Nathan MacKinnon away from the team due to COVID protocols.
Blues at Avalanche odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:50 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Blues +135 (bet $100 to win $135) | Avalanche -170 (bet $170 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Blues +1.5 (-180) | Avalanche -1.5 (+140)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -130 | U: +105)
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Blues at Avalanche projected goalies
Jordan Binnington (18-14-8, 2.65 GAA, .910 SV% in 2020-21) vs. Darcy Kuemper (1-0-0, 2.00 GAA, .941 SV%)
Binnington posted a 3-4-0 record with a 2.89 GAA and .909 SV% in seven starts against the Avalanche during the regular season in 2020-21. While he had a 2.53 GAA at home last season, he had a 2.79 GAA and .906 SV% on the road.
Kuemper replaces Vezina finalist Philipp Grubauer in between the pipes. So far, so good, as he turned aside 32 of 34 shots against the Blackhawks to win his team debut.
Blues at Avalanche odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Avalanche 4, Blues 2
Money line
The AVALANCHE (-170) are the play as they roughed up Binnington and the Blues (+135) in the postseason. Some teams are just in the heads of their opponents, and St. Louis probably wishes it was opening the season anywhere else. The good news is that MacKinnon is expected to miss a second straight game, but that’s about the only thing going for the Blues.
The Blues have dropped five straight trips to Denver, and a sixth consecutive setback is on the way.
Against the spread
The AVALANCHE -1.5 (+140) is worth a small-unit play on the puck line as they have plenty of weapons to make up for the loss of MacKinnon, including rookie Alex Newhook, who takes his place. Colorado will pick up right where it left off last season against St. Louis, posting another decisive victory.
Over/Under
OVER 5.5 (-130) is the lean, ever so slightly. It might take a late empty-net goal to push this one across the finish line, but it’s a better play than the Under. The Over is 5-2-1 in the past eight meetings between these teams.
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