The St. Louis Blues (37-29-3) travel to face off against the Minnesota Wild (34-28-8) on Saturday, March 23rd. This game will be played at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul and televised on ESPN+. The Blues are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Wild are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Kings. Puck drop is set for 2:00 ET.
Blues vs Wild
The St. Louis Blues Are Coming Off A Win
Heading into tonight’s game, the Blues sit 9th in the Western Conference with a record of 37-29-3. In the Central Division, St. Louis is in 5th place. On the road this season, the Blues have gone 16-17-2 and have won two straight games away from home.
As the underdog, St. Louis has gone 29-21-3 this season and has won two straight games when they have been favored. In their last ten games, the Blues have gone 6-4, and they have won four of their last five games overall.
On the road this season, the Blues have gone just 18-17 vs. the puck line, and they have an average scoring margin of -.5 goals per game. So far, St. Louis has been the underdog in 53 games, and their puck line record as the underdog is 34-19.
St. Louis has gone 7-3 vs. the puck line in their last ten games, and they have won six games in a row vs. the puck line. This season, the Blues have 23 wins by multiple goals, and they have gone 41-28 vs. the puck line overall.
The Blues are coming off a 5-2 road win over the Senators. The Blues’ offense scored in each period against the Senators. All five goals came at even strength. They finished with 27 shots on goal and had 10 turnovers.
St. Louis was the underdog going into the game and picked up a win against the puck line. The teams surpassed the over/under line, which was set at 6.5 goals, with a combined total of 7 goals.
The Minnesota Wild Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
At home this season, the Wild have gone 18-12-4 and are currently riding a four-game winning streak on their home ice. In the Western Conference, Minnesota is 10th and 6th in the Central Division. Overall, the Wild are 34-28-8 this season and have been favored in 33 of their 70 games.
Over their last ten games, the Wild have gone 6-4 and have gone 3-2 over their last five games. In their last three games, Minnesota has gone 1-2. Against Western Conference opponents, the Wild have gone 20-19, and in divisional games, they have gone 8-13.
Minnesota comes into this game with a puck line record of 37-33, including a mark of 17-17 at home. So far this season, the Wild have 23 wins by multiple goals compared to just 11 by one goal.
Over their last ten games at home, Minnesota has a puck line record of 5-5, and their average scoring margin as the favorite is at 0.7 goals per game. Overall, the Wild have gone 14-19 against the puck line when favored.
Following a 6-0 loss on the road to the Kings, the Wild are eager to bounce back. In this game, Minnesota’s offense had a challenging time against the Kings and failed to score. The Wild’s offense finished with 2 giveaways and attempted 31 shots on goal during the game.
As the underdog, Minnesota suffered both a straight-up and loss vs. the puck line. With a combined total of 6 goals, the teams exceeded the over/under line of 5.5 goals set for the game.
St. Louis Offense Breakdown
For their offensive performance, the Blues come in averaging 2.9 goals per game this season, which is 26th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 25th in the league. St. Louis’ offense comes into the game ranked 24th in power play goals. And in terms of shorthanded goals, they are 3rd in the NHL.
The Blues’ over/under record this season is 28-34-7. For the season, they have had 40 games that surpassed this game’s over/under line of 5.5. Overall, their games are averaging5.9 goals per game.
Wild Offense Breakdown
Offensively, the Wild come into the game at 3 goals per contest placing 18th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 20th position in the league. Minnesota’s offense is currently ranked 10th in power play goals. When it comes to shorthanded goals, they are 30th in the league.
The Wild’s over/under record this season is 33-33-4. For the season, they have had 38 games that surpassed this game’s over/under line of 5.5. Overall, their games are averaging6.3 goals per game.
St. Louis Team Defense
Defensively, the Blues come into the season ranked 6th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 32.1 shots per game against St. Louis. For the season, they are ranked 18th in shutouts, coming in with 4 shutouts.
Minnesota Team Defense
Defensively, the Wild come into the season ranked 17th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 29.8 shots per game against Minnesota. For the season, they are ranked 9th in shutouts, coming in with 5 shutouts.
Blues vs Wild Trends
- In their last three road games, St. Louis has averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 2. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
- Minnesota has played well in their previous three home games, going 3-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 1. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 2-1.
- Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Minnesota has an puck line mark of 1-2 while going 0-3 straight up.
- In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Blues have a strong straight up record of 2-1. In addition, their puck line record was 2-1 in these scenarios.
Blues vs Wild Prediction
For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Wild to secure a victory over the Blues at home. With the moneyline currently set at -147, I’m locking in my bet on the Wild straight-up.
My recommended pick for the puck line is to take the Blues to cover. Even if the Wild win straight-up, this one should be close throughout and the Blues should cover the puck line.
When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 5.5 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 23, 2024 Blues, Wild