The Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues meet for Game 4 of Western Conference Semifinals Monday at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Colorado leads the series 2-1. Puck drop is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we look at the Avalanche vs. Blues Game 4 odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
The Avalanche picked up a 5-2 road win in Game 3 to grab home-ice advantage back from the Blues after they dropped Game 2. It was costly, however, as the Avs lost D Samuel Girard to a season-ending sternum injury.
The Blues also suffered a costly injury in Game 3, as G Jordan Binnington was knocked out for the series due to a lower-body injury. G Ville Husso is back as the No. 1 goaltender, a spot he started in the first 3 games of this postseason.
Avalanche at Blues odds and lines
- Money line: Avalanche -170 (bet $170 to win $100) | Blues +135 (bet $100 to win $135)
- Against the spread (ATS): Avalanche -1.5 (+135) | Blues +1.5 (-175)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -122 | U: -102)
Avalanche at Blues projected goalies
Darcy Kuemper (4-1-0, 1.99 GAA, .926 SV% – postseason) vs Ville Husso (1-3-0, 3.38 GAA, .891 SV%, 1 SO – postseason)
Kuemper allowed 2 goals on 31 shots in the Game 3 road win in St. Louis. He has yielded 3 or fewer goals in each of his 6 starts so far in these playoffs.
Husso allowed 4 goals on 23 shots in relief in Game 3, but that’s a tough spot coming on cold to play for an injured starter. He has allowed 4 or more goals in each of his last 3 playoff appearances since his shutout in Game 1 at the Minnesota Wild.
Money line
The AVALANCHE (-170) are rather moderate favorites, but this is going to be a close game. The Blues do not lose much, if anything, with Husso back in there instead of Binnington.
However, look for the offensive stars of the Avs to shine bright, grabbing a road win and forcing the Blues to the brink of elimination with a narrow win.
Against the spread
The BLUES +1.5 (-175) are worth playing if you’d like a little insurance. The road team has covered the puck line in each of the 3 games in this series so far, but St. Louis is desperate and will play one of their best outings of the series.
Over/Under
UNDER 6.5 (-102) is the play here. We should see the Avalanche take fewer chances, not allowing the Blues opportunities to get back into the series, and St. Louis will also be very careful. Scoring chances should be at a premium in this one.
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