Blues vs Oilers January 31 Betting Preview: Trends Point Towards High-Scoring Affair
- The St. Louis Blues (31-12-7) face the Edmonton Oilers (26-18-4) Friday night
- The defending Stanley Cup champions are listed as -135 favorites despite being the road team
- Oilers forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are tied for the league lead in points with 77 each
Jordan Binnington and the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues travel to Edmonton to face the Oilers tonight as -135 favorites and leaders of the Central Division. The Oilers are coming off a shootout loss but are 6-2-2 in their past ten games. Does Edmonton offer value for an upset?
Blues vs Oilers Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Blues | -1.5 (+190) | -135 | O 6.0 (-105) |
| Edmonton Oilers | +1.5 (-230) | +115 | U 6.0 (-115) |
Odds taken Jan. 31
The Blues vs Oilers odds show this could be a tight game. St. Louis has 14 wins on the road this season which is tied for the most in the Western Conference but Edmonton is also playing well. After looking through the stats, the value bet is betting the total and here’s why.
Binnington Has Struggled Lately
Jordan Binnington is the likely starter for the Blues tonight and that’s good news for Edmonton. He’s allowed four goals in three straight games – four straight if you want to include his poor performance on home ice at the all-star game. His 23-8-5 record is impressive more because of the great team around him than his actual goaltending abilities. His 2.62 goals against ranks 19th in the league and his .911 save percentage is 21st.
New stache. New tattoo. New hands? @justinbieber's getting ready for Jordan Binnington (@binnnasty). 👀 (🎥 IG/justinbieber) pic.twitter.com/V6qxZgQFso
— NHL (@NHL) January 31, 2020
Justin Bieber and Binnington are working on a shootout competition the whole hockey world wants to see, but his focus should probably be more on improving his play and less on circus act sideshows.
Can McDavid & Draisaitl Take Advantage?
The term dynamic duo gets thrown around a little too often but when it comes to the Oilers pair the designation is perfect. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are tied for the league lead in scoring with 77 points each. That puts them on pace to finish with a combined 252 points this year, which is an absolutely staggering number when you consider only 10 players have reached 100 points in the last three seasons combined.
We're so impressed with this guy, we're giving him his own award.
What gets your vote for Connor McDavid's 2nd Best Moment of the First Half? #NHLTonight
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) January 21, 2020
Even when Edmonton loses, McDavid and Draisaitl rack up their points. That combo going against a Blues team that isn’t in the best form right now – Binnington in particular – is a matchup worth taking advantage of.
Why Not Bet the Oilers Moneyline?
With the mountain of evidence presented you’re probably wondering why the pick isn’t Edmonton on the moneyline. The answer is simple, the Blues still need to be respected. They have scored more goals than the Oilers this season and also allowed less. Their +23 goal different ranks second in the Western Conference, whereas the Oilers are only +1 which ranks tied for seventh.
I like the Oilers chances to score tonight but they do tend to give up goals in bunches as well. You need more than five goals to get a push and more than six to win but at -105 the value lies in betting on the offense to win the battle in this one.
Pick: Over 6.0 (-105)
Ryan has been working at TSN for over eleven years, and is now a lead writer and content producer at That's Hockey. Over the years, he's launched and hosted TSN's first NCAAF podcast, The College Football Show, and been featured on the likes of TSN 1050, Sportscentre, and That's Hockey 2Nite.
