The Gateway to the West is set to host Game 3 of the NHL’s Western Conference Semi-Final with Colorado visiting St Louis from the Enterprise Center.
Below, you can look at the loan Western Conference matchup on tonight’s NHL slate and at some of our best bets on the FanDuel Sportsbook.
Colorado Avalanche (-170) vs St Louis Blues (+140) Total: 6.5 (O-120/U-104)The St Louis Blues were able to find a way to respond in Game 2 where they ultimately evened up the series before heading home tonight for Game 3. A lot of that credit should go to the great adjustments that head coach Craig Berube made, which included putting Pavel Buchnevich on the top-line with Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron while shifting Brayden Schenn from wing to centering the second-line with Ivan Barbashev and Vladimir Tarasenko. Perron recorded a pair of goals and the powerplay got going as well, which will be keys to the series if St Louis hopes to keep this one close. Game 2 was much more even in terms of shot attempts and shots on goal, with the teams both finishing the game with 31 shots on net.
It’s going to be interesting to see how the Avalanche counters tonight after suffering their first loss of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and if prior years are any indication, it’s not an automatic they will respond. Colorado and its high-end forwards will need to show us that this is a different team this time around, one that can get over the second-round playoff hump that has plagued them in years past. A better effort will be needed defensively from the Avs top-two lines, who are used to controlling the play but were unable to in defeat. Don’t expect lineup changes from a team that was dominant all season after just one loss. We expect the Avs will prove to the world that they aren’t the same as in years past, as they take back control of the series with a decisive Game 3 victory by multiple goals.
The total tonight is set at 6.5, and while we understand the offensive potential from both sides, if the first two games are any indication (five goals total in both Games 1 and 2), you should expect to see more low scoring in Game 3.
Best Bets: Avalanche puckline -1.5 (+140), Under 6.5 (-104)
