The Calgary Flames and the St. Louis Blues meet up for the second straight contest as it was the Flames that fell short to the Blues on Tuesday by a score of 4-3 in overtime. Join us for our NHL odds series where our Flames-Blues prediction and pick will be revealed.
Leading at one point by multiple goals at the start of the third period, it was an utter meltdown in the following moments afterward for the Flames. Nevertheless, Calgary has not lost three straight games in close to a month and still occupies a 19-14-9 record through 42 games played.
When it comes to the Blues, St. Louis has gone on a tear of late with six wins in their previous eight games and are seeking to enter their second half of the regular season scheduled slate with some much-needed confidence. As it stands, St. Louis possesses a 21-18-3 record and is in the midst of fighting their way back to playoff contention.
Here are the Flames-Blues NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Flames-Blues Odds
Calgary Flames: -1.5 (+152)
St. Louis Blues: +1.5 (-188)
Over: 6 (-105)
Under: 6 (-118)
How To Watch Flames vs. Blues
TV: ESPN+
Stream: NHLPP/ESPN+
Time: 8:00 ET/5:00 PT
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Why The Flames Could Cover The Spread
The last time out for the Flames, Calgary was not able to overcome a strong surge late by St. Louis that saw the latter secure the epic come-from-behind win. Despite falling flat on their faces a few days ago versus the same team and allowing them to get the win in comeback fashion, Calgary’s losing ways need to be brought to a halt before things get too out of hand. On paper, the Flames are a talented bunch that can hang with anyone in the league when clicking on all cylinders, but they lack the consistency to show off their best each night out on the ice.
In order to gain revenge on the Blues and cover the spread in doing so, be on the lookout for the Flames to capitalize off of St. Louis’ giveaways in their own zone. After failing to convert any of the eleven giveaways supplied by the Blues, Calgary must continue to play aggressively on defense to create steals and some extra-man advantages when attacking the St. Louis zone. If they can accomplish this, then the amount of power-play opportunities should only increase as well. On Tuesday, Calgary was gifted with two power-play’s throughout the evening but went 0/2 altogether when it was all but said and done.
Outside of the fact that the Flames cannot let their foot off the gas, it will also prove vital for Calgary to take advantage of St. Louis injuries that have left them shorthanded. Not to mention, but the Flames will need to be more solid in net after goalie Jacob Markstrom allowed four goals on 27 shots. Without a doubt, Markstrom has been far too inconsistent this season and Calgary may have to rely on their sturdy defenseman to help out their scuffling goaltender.
Why The Blues Could Cover The Spread
Even though the Blues have struggled with keeping the injury bug out of the locker room, St. Louis is still finding ways to get the job done. At first glance, the injury-depleted Blues have earned points in 12 of their previous 15 games and don’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. Alas, credit St. Louis’ third and fourth lines carrying the load with a slew of big-time names remaining absent from play.
While missing guys like forward Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O’Reilly, and even defenseman Torey Krug for an extended period of time no question hurts, St. Louis has done a phenomenal job in digging deep when it matters most. The biggest reason the Blues may end up covering the spread in this one will be because of the remarkable play of the net-minders on this roster. After getting outshot by both the Blackhawks and Flames in the Blues’ latest pair of victories, it was the combined effort of Thomas Griess and Jordan Binnington that put on a show. While it is yet to be determined which goaltender will be scheduled to start in net this evening, St. Louis can at least find solace in whoever is serving as the Blues’ last defense.
In addition, starting out flat will not prove to be a winning formula for the Blues. Although they were able to dig themselves out of a hole on Tuesday, Calgary is too talented of a squad to fall behind early in back-to-back matchups and expect to still come out on top. With that being said, keep your eyes peeled for the forward line of Brandon Saad and Brayden Schenn who have combined for eight goals and five assists over the course of the team’s road trip.
Final Flames-Blues Prediction & Pick
While these two squads are quite familiar with each other after clashing off on Tuesday, expect the Flames to learn from their mistakes and secure a big-time coverage of the spread out on the road.
Final Flames-Blues Prediction & Pick: Flames -1.5 (+152)
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