Ottawa Senators vs. St. Louis Blues Prediction, Preview, and Odds
Free Daily NFL Lock Pick, Thursday December 14th: Las Vegas vs LA Chargers 8:15pm ET
The Ottawa Senators (11-12-0) have seemingly been a team on the rise for several years now, but after another slow start in 2023-24, they find themselves staring down the barrel of some major change, and unless things can improve soon, they'll once again be considered one of the most disappointing teams in the entire NHL.
In this one, they'll face off against the St. Louis Blues (13-14-1), who came into the season with very few to no expectations at all, and while they have cooled off as of late, they've shown plenty of fight throughout the season, and while hopes of a playoff berth are dwindling as the losses continue to stack up, this isn't a team that anyone should be taking lightly.
Can the Senators spark any type of optimism for their fans this season?
With the additions of Claude Giroux and Jakob Chychrun in the past 24 months, many believed the Ottawa Senators were finally heading back to the playoffs in 2023-24, but with a 3-5-0 record in their past eight games, they continue to struggle, finding themselves at 11-12-0 on the season, good for last place in the stacked Atlantic Division. Despite playing 23 games this year, the Senators have played just six on the road, with a 3-3-0 mark over that span, and a +4 goal differential on the season, it's clear that the potential is there, but if this team can't translate that into success anytime soon, it will be yet another failed season for the Senators.
Unsurprisingly, the top three scorers on this team are Tim Stutzle, Giroux and Brady Tkachuk, with few other players stepping up and making their mark on the 2023-24 campaign, and in net, things have been steady without being spectacular, as their two goaltenders have combined for a 3.22 GAA and a .895 save percentage. Their last matchup was a tough home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, with the lone goal to Josh Norris not enough to keep them close, as Korpisalo allowed four goals on 28 shots, leading to another loss against tough opposition, this time by a score of 4-1.
Can the Blues find their fire under a new Coach?
The St. Louis Blues have steadily been going downhill for the past several years, and it's now led to the firing of their Head Coach after two wins in their past six games took their record to 13-14-1 on the season, placing them in sixth place in the Central Division. At home this season, the Blues have tallied a 7-5-0 record, showing that while they've struggled overall, they're capable of putting some great performances together, but with a -14 goal differential on the season, unless a new coach can spark the fire in them, this season may be over very, very soon.
This is a team devoid of elite talent, as they are led by Robert Thomas (27 points) and Pavel Buchenevich (21 points) and not a whole lot else, while their goaltending continues to be steady, posting a combined 3.32 GAA and a .904 save percentage on the season. Last time out was the final nail in the coffin of their Head Coach's tenure in St. Louis, giving up six goals on 32 shots to the Detroit Red Wings, and while the offense fought back behind two goals from Kevin Hayes, it just wasn't enough to get the job done as the Blues fell in a thriller 6-4.
Tuesday's Top Plays
Today's Top Plays
Tim "Money" Michael - 7-1-1 NBA Run Grab Tim's Tuesday NBA Best Bet For Just $45 -
Will Rogers - 10-2 NBA Run - Snatch up Will's NBA Divisional Total Of The Year For Just $30 -
Tom Macrina - 17-8 CBB Run - Snag Tom's Tuesday Night CBB Best Bet For Just $29 -
Brick Haus Sports - 14-2 NHL Run - Grab Brick's Tuesday NHL 108 Best Bet For Just $29 -
Best Bets
Full-Game Side Bet
Rating:
While the Senators may be in last place in their division, they're facing off against a team in the Blues that have dropped five of their past six games, including their last four overall, and with three wins in their past five games, this is a team that's still got some great top-end talent that's ready to perform at a very high level.
In their past 10 head-to-head meetings, the Blues may have the advantage 7-3, but the Senators have taken two of their past three games, and with all the drama off the ice for St. Louis, this doesn't feel like a team right now that has the confidence and the talent to beat any competitive team around the NHL.
Prediction: Ottawa -110
Full-Game Total Pick
Rating:
On the surface, this should be a high-scoring matchup between two teams that have struggled for the most part this season, particularly in net, but in their past 10 head-to-head meetings, the under sits at 7-3, with two of their past three matchups returning five goals or less combined.
For the Senators, the under sits at 6-4 in their past 10 overall games, over which time they have managed to score just three goals a game, and for the Blues, the under is 5-5 in their past 10 games, with just 14 goals scored in their past 10 games, and unless the goaltending has a monumentally bad night, these are just two offenses not built for high-scoring games every night.
Keep it simple, take the under.
