The St. Louis Blues and the San Jose Sharks are set to battle at the SAP Center in opening game of the Western Conference Finals. The action will get started at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 11, and fans at home can view the game live on NBC.
St. Louis Blues at San Jose Sharks Odds
San Jose (-120) is currently the favorite over St. Louis (+100), and the oddsmakers have put the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals. The odds for betting the total sit at -130 for the under and +110 for the over.
Even though its record stands at 54-42 straight up (SU), San Jose has produced 9.4 units for moneyline bettors this season. Through 96 regular season outings, 54 of its games have gone over the total, while 38 have gone under and just four have pushed. This year, the team is 31-18 SU at home.
Following a regular season where they scored on 22.9 percent of all power-play opportunities (the sixth-strongest), the Sharks have been able to score on 18.9 percent of their extra-man advantages in the postseason. Their penalty kill has gone from 80.8 percent in the regular season to 80.8 percent in the playoffs.
The Sharks’ offensive attack attempted 32.8 shots per game in the regular season, resulting in 3.5 goals per contest (ranked second overall in the NHL). In the postseason, the club’s attempting an average of 31.7 shots on goal 3.1 goals per game.
Boasting a .899 save percentage and 24.8 saves per game, Martin Jones (45 wins, 31 losses, and six OT losses) has been the top goalkeeper for the Sharks this season. If the Sharks, however, decide to rest him, San Jose may turn to Aaron Dell (11-16-16 record, .884 save percentage, 3.19 goals against average).
On the other hand, St. Louis is 53-42 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 3.1 units this season. A total of 49 of its games have gone under the total, while 39 have gone over and just seven have pushed. The Blues are 26-21 SU as a road team this season.
The Blues have converted on 20.5 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a mark that’s good enough for eighth-best in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked ninth overall and it’s successfully killed off 80.8 percent of all penalties.
Jake Allen (25.1 saves per game) has been the primary choice in the net for St. Louis. Allen owns a 19-27-8 record, while registering a .905 save percentage and 2.83 goals against average this year.
St. Louis Blues at San Jose Sharks Betting Predictions
NHL Pick: SU Winner – Blues, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- The total has gone under in three of San Jose’s last five outings.
- St. Louis has managed 29.6 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while San Jose has been attempting 35.0 shots per game over its last five at home.
- Four of San Jose’s last ten outings have been decided by two or more goals, and the team is 3-1 overall in those games.
- St. Louis skaters created 23.1 hits per game last season, while the Sharks posted 18.4 hits per contest.
