Even amid high expectations, there hasn’t been much to like about the St. Louis Blues or Ottawa Senators entering this matchup.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Ottawa Senators (-114) vs. St. Louis Blues (-105) Total: 6.5 (O -106, U -114)There was reason to be bullish about the Senators and Blues entering this season, but both have shown flaws through the first half of the season. The Sens enter this matchup with a 5-4-1 record, while the Blues share an identical record but have lost two in a row. The Sens have posted an 8-10-2 record on the road, while the Blues share that same record as the home team. That doesn’t inspire confidence in the Blues when playing at home, where teams should make up ground in the standings.
The Senators are listed as slight road favorites tonight at -114 on the moneyline, while the Blues are priced at -105. That’s somewhat surprising, but the Blues don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt, and they’ve seen too many injuries to trust the roster they’re icing.
Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Sens should continue riding Cam Talbot, while the Blues should do the same with Jordan Binnington. The Sens netminder has a 10-11-1 record with a .906 save percentage, while Binnington is sitting at 16-14-3 with a .891 save percentage.
Even though the Blues’ defense is more concerning than their goaltending, it’s hard to have confidence in the group they continue to ice. The Sens might not be a great example of consistency, but they should have the advantage in this matchup and value with their moneyline price.
Best Bet: Senators moneyline (-114)
Goal scoring hasn’t been an area of strength for either franchise, with the Sens sitting 25th in goals scored per game, while the Blues aren’t much better in 21st. Defense and goaltending haven’t been much better, with the Sens residing in 19th while the Blues are 25th. That puts a somewhat confusing twist on this matchup, knowing there’s a wide variety of outcomes. Over the Sens’ last five games, three have seen seven or more goals scored, while the Blues have seen that transpire in two of their previous five. Following the recent trends, it’s hard to look away from the value the under 6.5 presents tonight at -114.
Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-114)
The Ottawa Senators are building a solid offensive core, but that hasn’t translated into positive results in the standings. Still, Tim Stutzle has continued to impress and improve, which has seen him tally 39 points in 38 games. The young Sens forward has recorded four goals and six points over their last five games, which leads the team. Stutzle has been a significant contributor to what this team has been doing offensively, and there’s distinct value in targeting him to score tonight at +225.
Best Prop: Tim Stutzle to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+225)
