It’s always tough to stay at or near the top in professional sports, especially in the modern game where the salary cap and free agency makes it near impossible for good teams to keep all their best players for an extended period of time. There are, in every sport, exceptions to the rule, but the harsh reality is that every team eventually find themselves pulled into an extended rebuilding phase.
While the St. Louis Blues and the Anaheim Ducks are not quite at that point yet, it’s fair to suggest that they are both in a bit of a downward slide this season, with both teams looking as though they are going to be in for a second-half fight just to make it into the postseason. It is the Anaheim Ducks who look the more likely of the two to be there, but given how things have been going for them of late, even they do not look like a sure bet to be playing beyond the end of the regular season. The Blues are in as a 1 ½ goal favorite for this one, with the goal total set at 5 ½.
Blues vs Ducks NHL Betting Lines, Preview & Pick
Lots of roster moves today, including activating Tyler Bozak and Zach Sanford from injured reserve. https://t.co/J3xlw8G3Qs #stlblues
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) 23 de enero de 2019
- When: Wednesday, January 23 at 10 PM EST
- Where: Honda Center, Anaheim
- TV: NHL Center Ice
- Radio: TuneIn
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
- NHL Odds: St. Louis Blues -1.5 (Total 5.5)
Why bet on the St. Louis Blues?
At 21-22-5, the St. Louis Blues are having a first half of the season that they would sooner forget. That record has them sitting second from bottom in the Central Division, and while that is certainly not the ideal place to be, they can take some heart in knowing that they are still just 5 points off the pace being set by the last team in the Wild Card.
That said, the Blues are still going to need to put together a solid run of form to get right back in the hunt, which they are not exactly doing now at 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. As far as playing on the road goes, St. Louis has gone 9-9-3 away from home this year, but they certainly have a real shot here against an Anaheim team that is sinking like a stone.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 2.79
- Shots: 31.06
- PP/PK Percentage: 19.44
Defense
- Goals: 3.08
- Shots: 29.23
- PP/PK Percentage: 20.38
Why bet on the Anaheim Ducks?
The Anaheim Ducks are 4 points up on the Blues and just 1 point back of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but theirs is a position where looks are deceiving. While they are still very much in the playoff picture, what you don’t immediately see when you look at those standings is just how far they have fallen in recent weeks.
The Ducks snapped out of a 12-game losing skid by putting back to back wins over the Wild and the Devils, but they have slipped again after going down to Buffalo in their last game. Scoring goals have been a real problem for this team, with their 2.32 GPG putting them way down in the NHL offensive rankings.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 2.38
- Shots: 27.40
- PP/PK Percentage: 14.60
Defense
- Goals: 2.96
- Shots: 34.16
- PP/PK Percentage: 19.28
Blues vs Ducks NHL Betting Trends
- St. Louis is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Anaheim
- St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Anaheim
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of St. Louis’s last 9 games
- Anaheim is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
- Anaheim is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Anaheim’s last 5 games at home
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Blues vs Ducks
Each of the last 4 meetings between these teams has seen the victory go the way of the road team. Perhaps unsurprisingly, 4 of the last 5 games have ended up with a goal total of 5 or less. With all that in mind, let’s take the Blues to win and the UNDER.
Score: St. Louis Blues 3 – Anaheim Ducks 2
