Sharks vs. Blues Odds
| Sharks Odds | +125 |
| Blues Odds | -150 |
| Over/Under | 6 |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The St. Louis Blues have to pump the breaks on a four-game losing streak, and they'll have to do it against goaltender James Reimer and the San Jose Sharks in Thursday's NHL showdown.
Reimer has the second-best save percentage of anyone with more than one start, helping the Sharks to wins in three of his last five starts. The last thing this cold Blues offense needs is a date with a hot goalie between the pipes.
San Jose Sharks
Reimer deserves a ton of credit for his early-season performances, but we can't discount the Sharks' defensive structure in front of him. San Jose has allowed eight or fewer high-danger and 23 or fewer scoring chances in five of their past seven contests. That gives the Blues an even smaller window to improve their struggling offense.
We also can't discount what Reimer has accomplished this season. The 33-year-old has stopped 92.0% or more shots in six of his eight outings and has 6.9 goals saved above average. As expected, that has resulted in the Sharks staying under in six of his eight starts, including three straight contests.
The Sharks also have some low-scoring trends on the road. San Jose has limited their opponents to six or fewer high-danger chances at five-on-five, and Reimer has a 94.9% save percentage on the road. Consequently, the Sharks have stayed under the total in six of nine road games.
St. Louis Blues
The Sharks' solid defensive metrics could disrupt any chance the Blues have of progressing on offense. St. Louis has been uninspired recently, scoring zero or one goal at 5-on-5 in six of its past nine games. Scoring across all strengths is also diminished over their recent sample, with the Blues being limited to two or fewer goals in four of their past six games.
The more concerning trend is that the Blues don't have any supporting metrics that indicate that substantive offensive progression is forthcoming. The 2019 Stanley Cup champions have been limited to eight or fewer high-danger chances at 5-on-5 in five of their past seven games and an average of 24.4 shots per outing in that stretch.
These limited production and output metrics have had a material effect on totals, as the Blues have stayed under the total in six of nine games.
Scheduling could also impact the Blues. This contest will be their seventh game over the past 12 days, and with five more scheduled over the next 10 days. Overall, the Blues are in the midst of a 12-game, 21-night span. That will wear down the' players and could cause further deterioration to their metrics.
Blues vs. Sharks Pick
Low-scoring trends are impacting both teams. The Sharks are playing an effective defensive brand of hockey, and the Blues have hit an offensive wall. Early money has shifted the price on the over up to -120 odds, creating an edge in taking the under when it comes to the total.
With the Sharks' unrelenting defense and the Blues' ice-cold offense, this game could need overtime or a shootout to sort out a winner. At +330, it's worth a gamble that this one goes beyond 60 minutes.
Pick: Under 5.5 (+100) | Tie — 60 minutes (+330)
