Bruins vs. Blues Odds
| Bruins Odds | +110 |
| Blues Odds | -135 |
| Over/Under | 6.5 (+100 / -120) |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ | Hulu |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
A rematch of the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals takes place on Tuesday, as the Boston Bruins travel to St. Louis to take on the Blues. It’ll be the second time in as many weeks that the two squads square off. The Blues came out victorious in that first bout, 4-2.
Boston has played pretty average as of late, as its lost four out of its last six. The Bruins are, however, coming off of a close win against a strong Pittsburgh Penguins team and have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games.
Coming off of a dominant 8-3 victory against Nashville, the Blues are sitting pretty as they prepare for the playoffs. They’ve been essentially unstoppable, as they’re currently on a nine-game winning streak and have gone 9-0-1 in their last 10.
Bruins Remain Dangerous Squad
It always seems as if the Bruins have an immensely deep roster. Even after many predicted their demise this year, they’re still performing at a high level.
Generational talents in Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak (who is out with injury) are both averaging a point per game, while captain Patrice Bergeron and Taylor Hall are both contributing at a solid pace, as well.
They will also be missing newly-acquired defenseman Hampus Lindholm to injury.
As dangerous as this Bruins team is, they don’t put the puck in the net amongst the elites. The B’s only average about 3.1 goals per game, but to no surprise, they are among the best with a 57.09 xGF% expected goals for.
While Boston doesn’t create as many high-danger chances, it does have a solid power play, scoring at a 21.7% clip.
Boston’s defense is one of the best in the league, placing first in high-danger chances allowed by a large margin. The Bruins are also among the best in preventing goals — with a 2.7 goals against — and are exceptional on the penalty kill — with an 82.1% success rate.
Both Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark have split starts this season, and both have done a solid job. However, Ullmark is out with injury, so it looks like Swayman will get the start in this bout. Currently, he's posting a solid .917 SV% and a +7.3 GSAx (Goals Saved Above Expected).
Blues Heating Up at Perfect Time
Heading into the playoffs, the Blues are getting hot at the right time and have all hands on deck.
St. Louis is getting incredible production from its top guys. Vladimir Tarasenko, Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich are all averaging over a point per game, while Jordan Kyrou isn’t far behind and is shaping up to be a superstar.
So far, the Blues have had a fairly healthy roster. Defenseman Scott Perunovich has been out for a while and newly-acquired defenseman Nick Leddy is day-to-day. But other than that, they’re a healthy squad.
Similar to their counterparts, the Blues are an exceptional offensive team, but excel in opposite ways than the Bruins. St. Louis doesn’t drive play particularly well — with a 48.46 xGF% — but manage to score 3.68 goals per game.
The Blues don’t generate as many high-danger chances as they’d like, but with the second-best power play at 26.39%, I think that’s something they’re willing to sacrifice.
The Blues do a great job at limiting the opposition at scoring (averaging 2.81 goals against), but they allow a solid amount of high-danger chances. Even with that deficiency though, they’re among the league's best on the penalty kill, with a 83.82% success rate.
While it seems that Ville Husso has earned more of the trust of coach Craig Berube, he and Jordan Binnington have split starts this month. However, since Binnington started recently on Sunday, I think Husso gets the nod. The Finnish net-minder is posting wonderful numbers with a .923 SV% and a +17.0 GSAx.
Bruins vs. Blues Pick
In a battle of two powerhouses, this can go one of two ways: it can either be a battle of goaltenders, or it can be a shootout where there’s a ton of scoring.
However, I truly don’t see it being a low-scoring game — despite Boston’s defensive capabilities. St. Louis has been on a scoring tear as of late, averaging 5.4 goals per game in its last 10 games.
Obviously that trend won’t continue for much longer, but it goes to show what the Blues are capable of. They already scored four against the Bruins two weeks ago, so I don’t see why they can’t in this matchup.
Pick: Over 6 (-110)
