NHL Best Bets: Blues vs. Rangers Game Picks

Two teams looking to break out of slumps collide tonight as the St. Louis Blues pay a visit to the New York Rangers.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

St. Louis Blues (+138) vs. New York Rangers (-166) Total: 6 (O -112, U -110)

Neither team has played well through two months of the season. The visiting Blues enter this matchup with a 5-5 record over their past ten games and have three straight losses, while the Rangers are 4-4-2 over that same stretch. It’s peculiar that these teams have struggled so much early on.

The Blues aren’t just struggling in the results column, sitting 25th in goals per game and 29th in goals allowed per game. The Rangers have also struggled to score goals, sitting 21st in goals per game, but haven’t had much of an issue keeping them out at tenth in goals allowed per game. For a team that doesn’t score goals at a high clip, it might be hard for the Rangers to find the back of the net tonight.

Looking at the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Blues are expected to lean on Jordan Binnington, while the Rangers should do the same with Igor Shesterkin. The Blues netminder has a 9-10 record with a .895 save percentage, while Shesterkin is 10-4-4 with a .913 save percentage. There’s work to be done in both creases, but Shesterkin should have the edge, especially considering Binnington’s recent antics.

The Rangers are the better team, and although the price isn’t fantastic at -166 on the moneyline, there’s value in backing them to get back in the win column tonight.

Best Bet: Rangers moneyline (-166) 

Over the past five Rangers games, three matchups have seen seven or more goals scored. At the same time, four of the last five Blues games have seen seven or more goals scored, so it’s interesting to see the line set relatively low at just six. Even though the under has some value at -110, with recent trends, it’s difficult to fade the over six at -112.

Best Bet: Over six (-112) 

One of the most significant issues for the Rangers this season has been depth scoring. Mika Zibanejad handles most of the load, with 13 goals and 15 assists through 26 games. Playing against a Blues team that hasn’t done a great job defensively, the Rangers center should be in a prime position to score. Looking at his current price to light the lamp, the +130 odds have value and warrant consideration.

Best Prop: Mika Zibanejad to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+130)