Stars vs Blues Odds
| Stars Odds | -178 |
| Blue Jackets Odds | +146 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 -115 / -105 |
The Blues will look to continue their strong form under new head Coach Drew Bannister as they host the division rival Stars on Wednesday evening. St. Louis owns a record of 4-1-0 under Bannister, and has surged offensively with 20 goals for — including a 4-3 overtime victory when it faced Dallas on Dec. 16.
Dallas Stars
The Stars continue to hum along with a record of 6-3-1 during their last 10 games. They continue to look like a legitimate cup contender but do have some slight concerns for those who want to nitpick. In the last 10 games, Dallas has allowed 3.80 goals per game and has received disappointing play relative to expectations from Miro Heiskanen and Jake Oettinger (prior to his injury).
Now, the Stars will look to clean up their lesser run of form defensively coming out of the holiday break, which could be less than ideal.
With Oettinger sidelined, Scott Wedgewood should continue to hog all the starts — and Wedgewood is tonight's projected starter. He has played to a -3.8 GSAx and .903 save % in 12 appearances this season.
(Are you in North Carolina? With North Carolina sports betting coming online in 2024, you’ll be able to bet legally at major sportsbooks. Learn more.)
St. Louis Blues
In what has become a common theme this NHL season, the Blues have been a benefactor of a "new-coach bump." Since dismissing coach Craig Berube on Dec. 12, St. Louis owns a record of 4-1-0, including an overtime victory versus Dallas. In those five games, the Stars have played to a 51.97% expected goals rating.
It remains to be seen whether the Blues are able to continue playing at such a high level over a larger sample. The roster is a little flawed to be sure, and it will likely continue to allow an above average amount of high danger chances due to a middling collection of defensive talents.
Superstar forward Jordan Kyrou's comments towards Berube drew the ire of Blues fans, who stood with the only coach ever to bring a cup to St. Louis and booed Kyrou the following night. The perception that Kyrou had played well below his potential this season was clearly a key factor in the overall discontent from Blues fans.
Kyrou has responded with a dominant stretch of play, though; clearly he received a motivational boost from the situation. Bannister has reunited Kyrou on the top line with Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas, which is logical given Kyrou's abilities. In five games under Bannister the trio has been very productive, combining for 25 points. They have played to a 58.5% expected goals rating in 133.4 minutes together, generating 3.24 xG/60.
Joel Hofer has been confirmed as the Blues starter. He owns a +0.3 GSAx and .904 save % in 12 appearances this season.
Stars vs. Blues
Betting Pick & Prediction
The Blues have sufficiently stabilized under Drew Bannister that the prices on sides look fair, particularly with Wedgewood in for the Stars.
The greatest cause for optimism among the Blues roster recently is the dominant form displayed from their top line. Buchnevich, Kyrou and Thomas projects as one of the best lines in the league based on talent, and recently they have played like it. As noted, that trio remained together at today's morning skate and should see big minutes in this tough matchup.
Kyrou has the talent to be a point-per-game player the rest of the way, particularly if he is used on the top line alongside Buchnevich and Thomas. His early struggles still seem to be seeping into the betting markets, as he is priced at -135 to record a point tonight. If he continues to play to his potential, we will not see prices like -135 for over 0.5 points around for long. Backing him to record a point at anything better than -145 holds value.
Pick: Jordan Kyrou Over 0.5 Points -135
