Welcome back to NHL Predictions! Each day, Last Word on Hockey examines the upcoming games. We give our predictions, break down head-to-head matchups, and analyze other factors affecting them. Today’s prediction covers the game between the St. Louis Blues and the Calgary Flames.
Time: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard (EST)
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, SN West; ESPN+
The Blues and Flames meet for the second time this season. In early December, the Blues won the first matchup in overtime. Defenceman Colton Parayko scored the overtime-winning goal for the Blues. The defenceman’s fourth overtime-winning goal of his career set a record by a Blues defenceman.
The season series will end this week. The Blues and Flames will meet twice in St. Louis, but will not face each other again in the regular season.
The Blues are playing their third game of a four-game home stand. After a convincing win in the first game, the Blues fell 2-1 on Saturday night.
As the Blues look to shake off Saturday’s loss, they enter a significant stretch of their season. The Blue Note will play seven of their last eight games against teams more than a game above .500. Tuesday’s game starts a three-week stretch that can keep the Blues fighting for the playoffs or end their playoff aspirations.
Since New Year’s Eve, the Blues have been inconsistent with their on-ice product. The Blues picked up a convincing win in the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field and have two other convincing wins. On the other hand, the team has lost two games against a team hovering around .500. One night, the Blues will look like a playoff team. On another night, they look like a team with no chance of making the playoffs.
The good news is that the Blues can show they are a playoff team with a strong performance to close January, starting this week.
The Flames enter St. Louis for their second three-game trip in the Midwest. They Play the Blues in the second of back-to-back games after playing in the Windy City on Monday night. After the two games in St. Louis, the Flames will return to Canada.
The Flames are currently in the playoff chase in the Western Conference. They head into St. Louis a few points ahead of the Blues but are still outside the playoffs. While the team cannot leap anyone in the standings at the moment, they do have a chance to separate themselves from the Blues. Opportunities to earn points against teams right next to you in the playoff picture must be taken advantage of. By the end of the week, the Flames could take a significant lead over the Blues. On the other hand, they could find themselves in the same situation they are now, if not worse.
The Blues have been sleeping in their beds since last Wednesday. The Flames are playing in the second of back-to-back games. We are going to pick the home team in this one.
Prediction: Blues win, 3-2.
The over/under is set at 5.5 goals. We are taking just under that with five total goals.
For prop bets, we will choose a Blues nemesis to light the lamp for the Flames, Nazem Kadri. We will go with a fourth-line forward to score for the Blues, Nathan Walker. Furthermore, if Jordan Binnington is in the net for the Blues, it may not be a bad bet to say he and Kadri earn matching minors. If so, it would make Thursday’s game even more interesting.
Main photo by: Brett Holmes-Imagn Images
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Welcome back to NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are scheduled then offers insight and analysis to help
