Blues vs. Senators Odds
| Blues Odds | -220 |
| Senators Odds | +185 |
| Over/Under | 6 (-115o / -105u) |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Central Division's fourth-place St. Louis Blues begin a road trip Tuesday as they travel to Ottawa to take on the Atlantic Division's sixth-place Senators. This will be the first time these two teams since October 2019.
Can the Blues continue to climb the Central standings, or will Ottawa play spoiler as a home underdog?
Emergence of Husso a Boost for Blues
The Blues begin a four-game road trip as they try to hold on to the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. St. Louis is coming off a dominant 5-1 win over its division rival, the Chicago Blackhawks.
A surprising storyline this season for St. Louis has been the emergence of backup goaltender Ville Husso, who seems more poised to take the starting role away from Jordan Binnington with each strong outing. Husso has been a machine lately, going 7-2 over his last 10 starts.
Over those 10 starts, Husso boasts an absurd 0.946 SV%. The Blues' netminder has held the opposing team to two or fewer goals in six of his last eight starts. Among starting goaltenders this season, Husso would rank first in 5-on-5 goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (GSAx).
Senators Seeking Offense
Ottawa returns home following a 4-1 road win over the Washington Capitals. While the Senators played well in Washington, their offense has hit a wall over the past few weeks.
A key reason for the Senators' recent lack of scoring is the injuries to two of their leading goal-scorers, Josh Norris and Drake Batherson. Their absences have been especially felt at home, as Ottawa has been shut out in both of its last two games at the Canadian Tire Centre.
The Senators have scored two or fewer goals in seven of their last 12 games. Ottawa's offensive production has been cause for concern this season as a whole, as it ranks 22nd in the league in 5-on-5 expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF) and 24th in average expected goal value of 5-on-5 shot attempts.
Blues vs. Senators Pick
Husso continues to make his case to take the starting job away from Binnington in St. Louis, and traveling to Ottawa is a good spot to keep his momentum going. I especially like this spot for Husso with Norris and Batherson out for Ottawa.
Without both Norris and Batherson in the lineup, the Senators are averaging just 2.1 goals per game. I think they stay under 2.5 going against Husso.
Pick: Ottawa Senators TT u2.5 (-125) | Play up to (-130)
