The St. Louis Blues (26-10-6) visit the Vegas Golden Knights (23-15-6) Saturday in a battle of first-place teams at T-Mobile Arena for a 4 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Blues-Golden Knights odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Following an eight-game win streak, the defending Stanley Cup champion Blues have dropped the first two games of a three-game road trip. Most recently, they lost at the Colorado Avalanche 7-3 Thursday.
The Golden Knights edged the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 Thursday for a third consecutive win – all at home.
Blues at Golden Knights: Projected starting goalies
Jordan Binnington vs. Marc-Andre Fleury
Binnington is 19-7-4 with a 2.55 goals against average (GAA) and a .916 save percentage. The loss at Colorado snapped a personal six-game win streak. He was in net for a 4-2 win over the Golden Knights Dec. 12 in St. Louis, stopping 27 of 29 shots. He is 7-4-1 with a 3.07 GAA and .905 SV% on the road this season.
Fleury is 17-8-3 with a 2.76 GAA and .912 SV%, including wins in his last three starts – all at home, allowing 7 goals on 94 shots. He is 12-6-2 at home with a 2.96 GAA and .905 SV%. He took the loss in the Dec. 12 game at St. Louis, finishing with 25 saves on 29 shots.
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Blues at Golden Knights: Key injuries
Blues
- D Carl Gunnarsson (upper body) injured reserve (IR)
- RW Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder) IR, out until April
Golden Knights
- C Cody Eakin (head) out
- C Jonathan Marchessault (lower body) questionable
- LW Tomas Nosek (personal) probable
Blue at Golden Knights: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 11:50 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Golden Knights 5, Blues 2
Moneyline (ML)
The GOLDEN KNIGHTS (-154) are the STRONGEST PLAY. They’re in a nice groove with three straight wins and feeling comfortable, reaping the benefits of a seven-game homestand, their longest of the season. Despite dropping their last two, the Blues (+125) are one of the better NHL road teams at 13-6-3. But let’s face it, the “Vegas flu” is no joke. Do you think St. Louis’ players were 100% focused and not taking in Sin City the night before?
New to sports betting? Every $1.54 wagered on a Vegas win would profit $1 if it prevails.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (PL/ATS)
PASS. But if you’re willing to double down and make two Golden Knights bets, a puck line play (-1.5, +180) isn’t terrible as it will pay 1.8 to 1. However, the Blues (+1.5, -222) are 12-10 vs. the PL on the road, while the Golden Knights are 9-14 vs. the PL at home.
Over/Under (O/U)
The OVER 5.5 (-115) is worth a small wager. The Blues average 3.12 goals per game, while the Golden Knights score 3.09 per game. Plus, Vegas is 4-1 O/U in its last five games.
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Johnny’s record since Dec. 1: 23-13-1. Strongest plays: 12-4.
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