Prior to the start of every NHL season, we all tend to come up with a list of teams that we believe will be seriously challenging for the Stanley Cup. Once we have those teams nailed down, we think about those that will make up the numbers in the playoffs. Some teams are easy to pick, but then there are some that come out of nowhere to surprise us. Last year, it was the Vegas Golden Knight who proved to be the surprise package in their inaugural season.

This year, it is probably the Calgary Flames who have been the most pleasant surprise, but they are probably closely followed by the St. Louis Blues. They were seen as a bit of an outside bet to make the playoffs, but they are in, plus they still have a shot at winning the Central Division. Winning their final two games of the season might just get them to the top, and it all begins with a winnable game at home against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night. The Blues are favored by 1 ½, with the O/U set at 6.

Flyers vs Blues NHL Odds, Preview & Expert Prediction

“Any team that makes the playoffs, anyone has a chance.” #stlblues pic.twitter.com/O72JdCGWRM

— x – St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) 4 de abril de 2019

• When: Thursday, April 4 at 8 PM EST
• Where: Enterprise Center, St. Louis
• TV: NHL Center Ice
• Live Stream: NHL.tv
• NHL Odds: St. Louis Blues -205 (Total 6)

Lightning vs Maple Leafs NHL Spread & Pick for Thursday Night

Why bet on the Philadelphia Flyers?

You know your team is in trouble when the biggest headlines you have created all season are about your new mascot. Yes, Gritty has received all the positive press, while the Flyers have slowly but surely slipped down the Eastern Conference standings and out of the playoff picture.

The Flyers have been leaking goals all season long and are currently sitting at -32 in goal differential. They are coming into this one on a 3-game losing skid and have just 3 wins in their last 10 games. Despite being way down in the standings, they are still 2 games above .500 on the season, which includes being 18-18-4 on the road. They have been a good bet against the spread away from home, going 25-15 ATS.

Team Stats

• Goals: 2.97
• Shots: 31.51
• PP/PK Percentage: 17.11

Defense

• Goals: 3.38
• Shots: 32.55
• PP/PK Percentage: 21.21

Why bet on the St. Louis Blues?

As we said at the top of this piece, the St. Louis Blues have been a very pleasant surprise, but they can take that to another level if they can also win a division title. They lost their chance to get on top by losing their last game, but they are still a very solid 7-1-2 in their last 10 games.

They have also made the most of their time on home ice, posting a 22-15-2 record in their own building. This will be the second meeting of the season for these two, with the Blues blanking the Flyers 3-0 in Philly, the second time they have shut them out in their last 4 meetings. The Blues have not been great against the spread at home, though, going 15-24, although you would like them to improve on that against a weak Flyers team.

Team Stats

• Goals: 2.96
• Shots: 31.64
• PP/PK Percentage: 20.35

Defense

• Goals: 2.72
• Shots: 28.64
• PP/PK Percentage: 18.14

Canadiens vs Capitals NHL Betting Lines & Game Info

Flyers vs Blues NHL Betting Trends

• St. Louis is 278-198 ATS in non-conference games since 1996
• St. Louis is 3-2 against the spread versus Philadelphia over the last 3 seasons
• Philadelphia is 24-20 ATS in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons
• Philadelphia is 22-19 ATS in road games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons
• 3 of 5 games in this series have gone Under the Total over the last 3 seasons

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Flyers vs Blues

The previous meetings between these two have not delivered much in the way of scoring, so I would not be surprised to see this one go under the goal total. I am taking the Blues to win and cover as they go after a division title.

Score: Philadelphia Flyers 1 – St. Louis Blues 4