The most controversial officiating moments of 2019
The most controversial officiating moments of 2019
Tag: St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues at Pittsburgh Penguins odds, picks and best bets
Previewing Wednesday night’s Blues at Penguins NHL matchup, with NHL betting odds, picks and best bets
The St. Louis Blues (18-5-6) head to Pittsburgh to face the Pittsburgh Penguins (14-9-4) at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the Blues-Penguins odds and lines while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.
Blues at Penguins: Projected starting goalies
Jordan Binnington vs. Matt Murray
Binnington is confirmed to start and has a 13-4-4 record with a 2.26 goals against average and .926 save percentage. Binnington has won two consecutive starts with five goals allowed on 66 total shots faced.
Murray has a 9-5-4 record with a 2.84 GAA and .897 SV%. The Pittsburgh goaltender has struggled mightily over his last four starts, surrendering four-plus goals in each while getting pulled once.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Blues at Penguins: 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 4:25 p.m. ET.
Prediction
Penguins 4, Blues 3
Moneyline (ML)
The PENGUINS (-121) are a resilient team that sports a 10-3-2 record at home with a goal differential of 1.06 goals per game. St, Louis counters that with a 10-2-3 mark on the road while yielding just 2.6 goals per game. Also, the Penguins have won their last eight Wednesday games at home. Back Pittsburgh with a tiny bet.
A $10 bet with Pittsburgh results in an $8.26 profit with an outright win for the Penguins.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The Penguins are 11-16 ATS, which is 25th in the NHL. St. Louis is 15-14 ATS which is good for 16th in the league. Just take a hard PASS here.
Over/Under (O/U)
The OVER 5.5 (-134) is worth a play. The Over has connected in three straight matchups in this series. In those games, the teams combined for 20 goals (6.67 per contest). In their last five games, the Penguins have scored and surrendered 19 goals (3.8 per game each way), while the Blues have averaged 3.6 goals per contest in their last five. It is why the over is the way to go Wednesday.
Placing a $10 bet here will give a bettor a $7.46 profit with a total of six or more goals scored.
Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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The most controversial officiating moments of 2019
The Rams-Saints, the World Series, Stanley Cup playoffs and NBA all saw plenty of controversy in 2019.
Plenty of controversy in sports in 2019. Unfortunately for officials, they were under the spotlight numerous times for calls that were not made or were considered highly questionable. It’s a tough job but some folks have to do it.
The non-PI call that changed football
Officials are best off not seen and not heard. The calendar year 2019 opened with a play that resounds now and likely forever. With 1:49 left in the fourth quarter and the Saints at the Rams’ 13-yard line in the NFC Championship Game, Drew Brees threw a pass in Tommylee Lewis’ direction down the right sideline. Nickell Robey-Coleman came over and clobbered Lewis before the ball got there, clearly interfering with him. No flag. It was one of a few calls Bill Vinovich’s crew missed in the game …
Pittsburgh Penguins at St. Louis Blues odds, picks and best bets
Previewing Saturday’s Pittsburgh Penguins at St. Louis Blues sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Pittsburgh Penguins (14-8-4) travel to face the St. Louis Blues (16-5-6) at Enterprise Center Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the Penguins-Blues odds and lines while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.
Penguins at Blues: Projected starting goalies
Matt Murray vs. Jordan Binnington
Murray has a 9-4-4 record for Pittsburgh with a 2.72 goals against average and .901 save percentage. Murray was rested Friday night to start against St. Louis. He attempts to rebound after getting pulled against the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday night after allowing four goals on 14 shots.
Binnington has 12 wins in 20 starts (12-4-4). He was rested for Jake Allen Friday. Overall, he has a 2.27 GAA with a .925 save percentage. Binnington won his last start against the Tampa Bay Lightning, stopping 32 of 35 shots in a 4-3 win.
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Penguins at Blues: 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 7:55 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Blues 3, Penguins 2
Moneyline (ML)
The BLUES (-129) and Penguins both played Friday night so this is a textbook “sludge” matchup. At least St. Louis is the home team and mostly explains why they are a small favorite on the moneyline. Also, Binnington has shown better form than Murray of late.
A $10 bet with St. Louis results in a $7.75 profit with an outright win for the Blues.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
Both teams are under .500 against the spread. Pittsburgh is 11-15 while St. Louis is 12-14. AVOID.
Over/Under (O/U)
The UNDER 5.5 (+125) carries some risk but does have a solid plus number worthy of a small wager. St. Louis tends to play more defensive on the back end of back-to-backs. The wise move is to take the Under and try not to overthink it.
Placing a $10 bet here will give a bettor a $12.50 profit with a total of five or fewer goals scored.
Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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St. Louis Blues at Tampa Bay Lightning odds, picks and best bets
Previewing Wednesday’s St. Louis Blues at Tampa Bay Lightning sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.
The St. Louis Blues (14-5-6) visit the Tampa Bay Lightning (12-7-2) Wednesday at Amalie Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. We analyze the Blues-Lightning sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Blues at Lightning: Projected starting goalies
Jordan Binnington vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy
Binnington stopped 39 of 42 shots on goal Saturday against the Nashville Predators, but he was charged with his third loss in his last five starts (2-2-1). He is 11-4-4 on the season with a .926 save percentage and a 2.23 goals against average.
Vasilevskiy is rounding into form following an awful start to the season. He allowed just two goals in each of his last three starts and is up to 9-6 through 15 starts. He has a .910 SV% and a 2.82 GAA.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Blues at Lightning: 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 9:45 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Blues 3, Lightning 2
Moneyline (ML)
Both teams are missing top stars with Lightning C Steven Stamkos (lower body) and Blues RW Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder) both sidelined. The reigning Stanley Cup champion BLUES are getting +140 odds on the road, where they’re 7-2-3 on the season. The Lightning (-167) are 6-2-1 on home ice and have won three straight games by margins of at least two goals, but the Blues are getting too much disrespect with these odds.
Both teams are being outshot by an average of two shots per game. The Blues play to a slower pace with fewer shots and goals for and against. Both teams average less than 50% of the total shot attempts at 5-on-5. Binnington has outplayed the reigning Vezina Trophy winner thus far this season, and he makes the Blues the play with the opportunity to turn a $10 bet into a $14 profit.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
I like the BLUES (+1.5, -189) to win outright and they’re getting much more favorable odds on the moneyline, but the value is still adequate for a goal of insurance in the event of a loss. St. Louis is 11-14 on the puck line overall but it’s 7-5 on the road. Tampa Bay is 9-12 overall and 5-4 at home.
Over/Under (O/U)
The Lightning have hit the Over in seven of their last 10 games, while the Blues are 2-8 against the Over/Under across the same span. Take the UNDER 6.5 (-154) in a battle of two of the league’s top goaltenders and with a top offensive star sitting out for each side.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 84-71
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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St. Louis Blues at Nashville Predators odds, picks and best bets
Previewing Monday’s St. Louis Blues at Nashville Predators sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.
The St. Louis Blues (14-5-5) visit the Nashville Predators (10-9-3) Monday at Bridgestone Arena in Music City. The puck is scheduled to drop at 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the Blues-Predators sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Blues at Predators: Projected starting goalies
Jordan Binnington vs. Pekka Rinne
Binnington leads the league with 11 wins and has a record of 11-4-4 through 19 starts. He has a .926 save percentage and 2.23 goals against average. He allowed three goals on 42 shots in the first half of this home-and-home with the Predators Saturday.
Rinne has dropped four straight games with a total of 18 goals allowed. He is 8-4-2 on the year with a .889 SV% and 3.06 GAA. Both of his shutouts on the season came at home.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Blues at Predators: 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 8:30 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Predators 2, Blues 1
Moneyline (ML)
The Predators won Saturday’s head-to-head meeting in St. Louis by a 4-2 count with backup Juuse Saros between the pipes. Nashville RW Viktor Arvidsson (lower body) was lost for four-to-six weeks in the victory. The Preds return home with a 6-5-2 record at Bridgestone Arena. The Blues are 7-2-2 on the road.
The PREDATORS (-133) are now favored at home after winning as road underdogs Saturday. They’re a strong choice to make it two in a row even without Arvidsson. The Blues (+110) remain without RW Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder) and RW Alexander Steen (ankle), and they lost D Robert Bortuzzo to suspension as a result of the hit on Arvidsson.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The loss of Arvidsson will negatively impact the Predators’ offense for at least the next few games as they adapt to life without him in the lineup. Six of their last seven victories came by margins of at least two goals, but they won’t be able to separate as well without one of their top goal scorers.
The BLUES (+1.5, -250) will keep this one within a goal. They’re just 10-14 against the spread overall but 6-5 on the road. The Preds are 9-13 ATS overall and only 5-8 at home.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Blues to lose by a single goal or win outright returns a profit of $4.
Over/Under (O/U)
Take the UNDER 5.5 (+100) with injuries affecting both sides. Binnington remains in elite form, while Rinne should be able to get back on track after sitting in favor of Saros Saturday.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 74-67
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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Nashville Predators at St. Louis Blues odds, picks and best bets
Previewing Saturday’s Nashville Predators at St. Louis Blues sports betting odds and lines, with NHL picks, tips and best bets.
The Nashville Predators (9-9-3) visit the St. Louis Blues (14-4-5) Saturday at Enterprise Center. The puck is scheduled to drop shortly after 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the Predators-Blues sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Predators at Blues: Projected starting goalies
Pekka Rinne vs. Jordan Binnington
The 37-year-old Rinne has fallen to 8-4-2 on the season after dropping each of his last four decisions. He allowed at least four goals in each of those starts and his save percentage has dropped all the way to .889 with a 3.06 goals against average.
Binnington is tied for the league lead with 11 wins and four overtime/shootout losses while being hit with just three regulation losses. He has a .926 SV% and 2.19 GAA in the early going of his sophomore campaign.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Predators at Blues: 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 4:30 p.m. ET.
Prediction
Predators 3, Blues 2
Moneyline (ML)
The PREDATORS (+110) come in at full health as they go up against a Blues (-134) team still missing RW Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder). The Blues, No. 1 in the Central Division, have won two straight and are 7-2-3 at home. The Predators, sixth in the division, have lost six in a row and are just 3-4-1 outside of Music City.
Both sides are rested, however, and the Preds possess a shot differential of plus-5.0 to the Blues’ minus-0.8 rating. Nashville has an analytical advantage with better rates of expected goals and scoring chances than St. Louis.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager the Predators to win straight up would return a profit of $11.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The Preds are just 8-13 ATS overall and 3-5 on the road. The Blues are 10-13 ATS overall and 4-8 at home. While I think Nashville wins this one outright with a little puck-luck correction, the PREDATORS (+1.5, -250) are a good choice on the puck line for a little insurance in the event of a one-goal loss. It’s a less-profitable play, but it’s safer than the ML.
Over/Under (O/U)
The UNDER 5.5 (-106) is the play with Rinne a much better goaltender than his recent numbers suggest. The Predators are 6-4 against the O/U across their last 10 games while the Blues are just 3-7. Look for a tighter defensive effort from the visitors as they match the style of the hosts.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet for the Blues and Predators to combine for five or fewer goals scored returns a profit of $9.43.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 67-63
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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Lightning-Blues odds: St. Louis a small home dog
Previewing Tuesday’s Tampa Bay Lightning at St. Blues sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.
The Tampa Bay Lightning (9-6-2) visit the St. Louis Blues (12-4-5) Tuesday at Enterprise Center with the puck scheduled to drop shortly after 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the Lightning-Blues odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Lightning at Blues: Projected starting goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy vs. Jordan Binnington
Vasilevskiy is 7-5-0 through 12 starts with a .901 save percentage and a 3.02 goals against average. He dropped his last start while giving up three goals on 26 shots against after picking up consecutive wins.
Binnington is 9-3-4 through 16 starts. He has a .919 SV% and a 2.40 goals against average. He allowed three goals on 24 shots on goal in a loss to the Anaheim Ducks his last time out.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Lightning at Blues: 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 1:40 p.m. ET.
Prediction
Lightning 3, Blues 1
Moneyline (ML)
The Blues (+105) are underdogs at home as they’re still without star RW Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder). The reigning Stanley Cup champs are in first place in the Central Division and are 5-2-3 on home ice. They’ve dropped three straight games, but only the last (a 4-1 home loss to the Ducks) was in regulation. They had previously won seven straight.
The LIGHTNING (-125) are 5-4-1 on the road. They’re coming off of a three-game homestand and lost 4-3 to the Winnipeg Jets Saturday after winning each of the first three games. Tampa Bay has scored 64 goals and allowed 59 through 17 games, while St. Louis has scored 62 against 61 allowed. Take the visitors.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Lightning to win outright returns a profit of $8.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
Get better value with the LIGHTNING with +200 odds to cover -1.5 and win by two or more goals. The same $10 bet fetches a profit of $20.
Tampa Bay is 6-11 overall against the spread and 3-7 on the road, but the Blues are just 2-8 ATS at home despite being 8-13 overall. Two of the Lightning’s last three wins were each by margins of at least two goals.
Over/Under (O/U)
Take the UNDER 6.5 (-139) in a battle of two top goaltenders. Vasilevskiy hasn’t rounded into proper form of yet and is well off of last year’s Vezina Trophy-winning pace, but a test against Binnington and the champs will be further motivation.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 56-56
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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