St. Louis Blues vs. Boston Bruins Prediction, Preview, and Odds
The St. Louis Blues (32-29-3) didn't make many blockbuster moves at the trade deadline, likely with the hopes of making a playoff push in 2023-24, but with so many teams playing well around them, the next seven weeks for this team could be either spectacular or spectacularly bad, especially when we look back on the deadline.
On Monday they'll battle the Boston Bruins (38-13-15), who remain one of the strongest teams in the entire Eastern Conference, and while there are still plenty of question marks about this team and how deep they can go in the playoffs, they remain a team that nobody in the league wants to see in a seven-game series.
Can the Blues stay in the hunt in the Western Conference?
While the Blues did little at the trade deadline, other teams around them got exponentially better, and now, they have just three wins in their past 11 games, pushing them to sixth spot in the Central Division, eight points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. On the road this season, the Blues have put together a 14-18-2 record in 34 games played with losses in their past three away from home, and with a goal differential of -22, unless something changes drastically and very soon, this is a team that won't be featured in the playoffs in 2023-24.
Leading the way for St. Louis this season is breakout star Robert Thomas, who is having a career year with an impressive 69 points in 64 games played, and in net their duo of Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer have done everything they can to keep the Blues in the race, combining for a 2.87 GAA and a .911 save percentage. Last time out for the Blues was their third consecutive loss with no one managing to get the Blues on the score sheet, and while Binnington was solid, stopping 35 of the 39 shots he saw on the night, it wasn't enough at Madison Square Garden as the Rangers walked away with a 4-0 win.
Can the Bruins take back top spot in the Atlantic Division?
The Boston Bruins were relatively quiet at the trade deadline, but that hasn't stopped them from continuing to roll in 2023-24, with five wins in their past seven games placing them in second spot in the Atlantic Division, just one point behind the rival Florida Panthers in what should be an intriguing race over the next few months. At home this season, Boston have been a tough team to face with a 21-7-6 record in 34 games played, and with a +43 goal differential and one of the deepest, toughest teams in the league, they will no doubt continue to be a nightmare for opponents going forward.
Leading the way for this team in 2023-24 is superstar forward David Pastrnak, who follows up a career high 113 points a season ago with 93 points in 66 games played this season, while the goaltending duo of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark star again with a combined 2.67 GAA and a .917 save percentage. Last time out the Bruins continued rolling with a big win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, with five Bruins recording multiple points on the night as Ullmark dominated in net, stopping 38 of the 39 shots he saw for the momentum building 5-1 victory.
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Best Bets
Full-Game Side Bet
Rating:
These two teams don't match up often, but when they do it appears to always go down to the wire, with the Boston Bruins getting the best of the action as of late, picking up a solid 6-4 record in their past 10 head-to-head meetings.
Over that time, St. Louis has dropped four straight games by a combined differential of just five goals, so while it will be a close contest, the Bruins have the edge in recent times, and that shouldn't change with their eyes on a very lofty goal in 2023-24.
Prediction: Boston -1.5
Full-Game Total Pick
Rating:
As highlighted already, these two teams are led by star goaltender duos, with the under in their past 10 head-to-head meetings sitting at 5-4-1, with their past five matchups in Boston combining for just 21 overall goals between the two teams.
For the Blues, the under is 7-2-1 in their past 10 overall games, with just 19 goals scored over that time, and for the Bruins, the under is 5-3-2 over their past 10 games, with just four goals allowed on their recent three-game home-stand, and with both goaltender duos averaging under 2.90 GAA on the season, this one should be dominated by the net minders.
Keep it simple, take the under.
