St Louis Blues VS Pittsburgh Penguins feature two teams playing to be featured in the postseason faceoff. The Penguins (63 points, 10th in the Eastern Conference), and will be visiting the Blues (56 points, 11th Western Conference).
Pittsburg lost every of its last four games after a 7-2 setback at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. St. Louis lost four straight after a clash with the Vancouver Canucks (3-2).
The Penguins will play in the absence of Mark Friedman, Ryan Poehling, and Jan Rutta. For the Blues, Jake Neighbours is out and Torey Krug remains questionable.
For the best previews and odds for all NHL games, you can visit MatchPlug. We give you the best NHL Predictions Today for the Blues and Penguins matchup.
Predictions, Odds and Betting Preview for St. Louis Blues VS Pittsburgh Penguins
- Where: Enterprise Center, St Louis
- When: Saturday, February 25th, 2023
- Time: 12:30 GMT
- Teams to play: Blues and Penguins
- NHL Expert Picks: MONEYLINE 2.128
Odds as seen on 1XBet and BetMGM.
Betting On The St Louis Blues
Season Record: 26-28-5
- 1XBet Spread: +1.5
- 1XBet Moneyline: 3.035
- 1XBet Over/Under: Under 6.5
- BetMGM Spread: +1.5
- BetMGM Moneyline: 2.35
- BetMGM Over/Under: Under 6.5
The St Louis Blues can still make the postseason even after trading away Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari their forwards, for Adam Gaudette a prospect and forward. In the 40 games he played before he was traded, O’Reilly scored 12 goals and had seven assists.
St Louis is scoring an average of 3.02 goals per game which is 21st in the NHL while taking an average of 29.0 shots. The power play for the Blues scores 21.1% of the time they have a main advantage. Jordan Kyrou has a team-best 25 goals and two other players scored 16 goals each. Robert Thomas has 35 assists which are a team-best, while Kyrou is the points leader with 54 and Thomas has 48.
The Blues allowed an average of 3.64 goals per game which is 29th in the NHL. St Louis No 1 goalie Jordan Binnington is 21-20-4 with 3.28 goals against average, and a .894 save percentage and has posted two shutouts. They allow 32.1 shots per game which are 21st in the NHL. The penalty kill unit is well below average, holding opponents scoreless only 75.2% of the time St Louis is shorthanded which is 25th.
Betting On The Pittsburgh Penguins
Season Record: 27-21-9
- 1XBet Spread: -1.5
- 1XBet Moneyline: 2.128
- 1XBet Over/Under: Over 6.5
- BetMGM Spread: -1.5
- BetMGM Moneyline: 1.62
- BetMGM Over/Under: Over 6.5
The Pittsburgh Penguins allow an average of 3.23 goals per game. Tristan Jarry the top goaltender is 16-7-5 with 2.82 goals against average, a .916 save percentage and one shutout but due to injury missed several games.
Casey DeSmith the backup has seen a lot of action and is 10-24-4 with 3.28 goals against an average of 34.1 shots per game which is 29th and the Penguins’ penalty kill line is 14th, rendering opponents scoreless 80.6% of the time they are short-handed.
Pittsburgh is scoring an average of 3.18 goals per game, 15th in the League. Syndey Crosby scored 25 goals best in the team, while Jake Guentzel scored 24. Crosby has 44 assists another team-best, and a team-high 69 points. Second in assists is Evgeny Malkin with 37 and Malkin is second in points with 58.
The Penguins average the fifth most shots in the NHL at 33.6 per game and scoring 21.5% of the time is their power move, they have a man advantage which is just 15th.
MatchPlug Prediction
The largest difference in this game is in the goals against; because the Penguins are holding opponents to an average of 3.23 goals per game, while the Blues allow an average of 3.64 goals per game.
Jarry goals against average are only 2.82, while Binnington has a goals-against average of 3.28. Pittsburgh has won 13 of its last 18 played against the team from the Western Conference and they have won every of the last four overall against St Louis.
Meanwhile, St Louis lost all of its last four and the Penguins have lost 17 and the last 22 when playing just after a day’s rest.
Final Prediction: Pittsburgh Penguins Moneyline.
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