NHL: Blues vs. Flyers odds, picks, prediction: Back Philly at home
The Philadelphia Flyers are in an interesting position this week.
All season long the Flyers front office preached patience and claimed it was still taking a long-term approach to building the roster, but with the team currently in a playoff position and the Trade Deadline looming, that patience will be put to the test.
Monday’s game against the St. Louis Blues could go a long way in determining the direction that the Flyers take. A win would put seven points between them and the New York Islanders, though the Isles have three games in hand. A loss would keep the Isles within five points and it should also be noted that the Flyers have a brutal upcoming schedule.
Philadelphia is a -135 favorite at home on Monday night.
The Blues went into All-Star Weekend as one of the hottest teams in hockey, but it’s been a mixed bag since the break. St. Louis is 5-5-1 in its last 10 games and has to make up seven points to catch the Nashville Predators in the playoff race. The Blues have shown they’re capable of getting hot, but they need a lot to go right to get there.
In some ways the Blues are a poor man’s version of teams like the New York Rangers or Tampa Bay Lightning in that they rely on their star players, special teams and goaltending to make up for lackluster 5-on-5 numbers. It’s not impossible to succeed in this fashion, but the Blues could do with some better form at even strength if they’re looking for some consistency down the stretch.
The Flyers take almost the opposite approach. Philadelphia doesn’t have an abundance of starpower, but the Flyers make up for it by playing a strong 5-on-5 game that grinds down opponents over the course of a game. This tenacious style of play has propelled the Flyers to a surprising season so far.
Typically, we look to back the Flyers as an underdog and avoid (or fade) them when they’re a favorite, but this matchup suits Philadelphia. I wouldn’t go much further than -135, but it’s hard to see St. Louis competing at 5-on-5 against the Flyers on Monday night.\
The Bet: Philadelphia Flyers -135 or better
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