The Dallas Stars and the St. Louis Blues are ready to battle at the Enterprise Center in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals. The match will get underway at 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 3, and you are able to witness this divisional matchup live on NBC Sports Network.
Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues Odds
St. Louis (-150) is favored over Dallas (+130). If you want to put some action on the matchup’s Over/Under (O/U) total, you’ll be looking at -130 for over 5 scores and +110 for under under..
The Blues are 51-41 straight-up (SU) and have earned 2.4 units for moneyline bettors this season. That winning percentage, ranked third in the Central Division so far this season, is right in line with what the team produced during last year’s regular season (44-38). Through 92 regular season contests, 47 of the team’s games have gone under the total, while 39 have gone over and just six have pushed. This year, the team is 26-20 SU at home.
St. Louis’ offense attempted 31.5 shots per game in the regular season, leading to 3.0 goals per outing (ranked 14th overall in the NHL). In the postseason, the team’s managing an average of 30.0 shots on goal ( 2.7 goals per game).
After accounting for the eighth-best power-play unit in the regular season (scoring on 21.3 percent of all chances), the Blues have connected on 22.6 percent of their postseason power plays. Their penalty kill has gone from 80.9 percent in the regular season to 75.0 percent in the playoffs.
Averaging 25.1 saves per game with a .905 save percentage, Jake Allen (19-27-8) has been the top goalkeeper for the Blues this year. If head coach Craig Berube decides to rest him, however, the team might go with Jordan Binnington (30-12-12 record, .921 save percentage, 2.11 goals against average).
The Blue Notes will continue seeking offensive production out of Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko. O’Reilly (85 points) has produced 30 goals and 55 assists and has recorded two or more points on 20 separate occasions this year. Tarasenko has 38 goals and 35 assists to his name and has notched at least one point in 49 contests.
Dallas has earned moneyline bettors 0.9 units this year and is currently 49-43 straight up (SU). Through 92 regular season matches, 51 of its games have gone under the total, while 29 have gone over and just 12 have pushed. As an away team, Dallas is 22-24 SU.
Dallas has scored on 21.1 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a figure that places it in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked fifth overall and it’s successfully defended 83.8 percent of all opponent power plays.
Dallas’ players have been penalized 3.5 times per game in total this season, and 4.6 per game over their last five road outings. The team’s been forced to defend opponent power plays just 7.6 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Ben Bishop (.934 save percentage and 2.03 goals against average) has been the main option in goal for Dallas. Bishop is averaging 27.6 saves per game and has 34 wins, 22 losses, and three overtime losses to his credit.
Leading the offensive counter for the visiting Stars will be Tyler Seguin (36 goals, 53 assists) and Alexander Radulov (34 goals, 47 assists).
Dallas Stars at St. Louis Blues Betting Predictions
Free Prediction: SU Winner – Blues, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- For both of these clubs, the total has gone over in three of their last five matchups.
- Extra-man opportunities may prove to be key in tonight’s matchup. The Stars are 16-14 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 30-35 in games where they serve fewer than 10 penalty minutes, in total. The Blues are 24-22 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 37-28 in games where their penalty minutes are in the single digits.
- St. Louis skaters have created 11.8 takeaways per game over its last five home games, an improvement over its season average of 8.4 takeaways per game (ranked 8th overall).
- Dallas is ranked 21st overall this season with 7.1 takeaways per game. That figure has trended upward, as the team has created 7.7 takeaways over its last 10 games and 8.4 takeaways over its last five.
- St. Louis may hold the upper hand if it’s a tight one late. The team’s 22-18 in games decided by one goal, while Dallas is 19-21 in such games.
