Blues vs Avalanche Odds, Lines, and Picks on April 2nd

• On Friday, the Colorado Avalanche (23-8-4) host the St. Louis Blues (16-13-6)
• The Avalanche are currently tied for 1st in the NHL with 50 points on the season
• Here are the odds, team previews, and the best value bet available

A pair of streaks are on the line in Colorado on April 2nd. The Avalanche are looking for a third straight victory while the reeling St. Louis Blues aim to avoid a fifth consecutive loss. Taking that into consideration, it’s no surprise to see Colorado listed as a convincing favorite in the Blues vs Avalanche odds.

Colorado is 9-1 SU in their last 10 home games. The Avalanche won their last game 9-3 against the Coyotes, while the Blues lost in overtime to the Ducks.

Blues vs Avalanche Odds April 2nd

Odds as of April 2nd

What are the chances the Blues pull off the upset? Let’s take a deep dive into four players, in particular, to see if we can find the best bet on the board.

Avalanche Stacked With Elite Talent

The Avalanche trusted goaltender Philipp Grubauer to the point they decided not to acquire another goalie this past off-season. That gamble has paid off handsomely to this point in the season. Grubauer has a 1.78 goals against average, which is best in the league, and also tops the NHL with 22 wins.

His strong play in goal is a key reason Colorado has 50 points this season which is tied for best in the league. He is expected to get the start against the Blues on Friday night.

!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/rExhsaC3Au

— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) April 1, 2021

Nathan MacKinnon will also be in the lineup after avoiding a suspension after throwing a helmet at Arizona Coyotes forward Connor Garland. It was a play that could have resulted in a suspension for a lesser player, but MacKinnon instead received the maximum fine allowed.

He has 10 goals and 30 assists this season, giving him the second most points on the team. Mikko Rantanen is tops on the team with 43 points and is third in the league with 21 goals. The play of these three stars will be key facing a hungry opponent looking to end a long slide.

Blues Missing Magic From Two Seasons Ago

It feels like yesterday the Blues were hoisting the Stanley Cup and spending the off-season partying away on social media. Times appear to have changed in a big way for St. Louis. Gone is captain Alex Pietrangelo, who signed a 7-year deal with Vegas in free agency.

Gone too appears to be the elite scoring ability of Vladimir Tarasenko. He missed half a year after undergoing his third shoulder surgery and has not looked like the player of old since returning to the lineup. He’s scored only twice in 11 games, leaving the Blues shorthanded in the goal-scoring department.

Berube before the game on Tarasenko: "He's pretty upset about his goal production in 10 games and it wears on a player. I think once he gets another goal here, he's going to feel a lot better about himself. (MORE)

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) March 28, 2021

St. Louis is currently clinging to a playoff spot only because of the division they play in. They sit fourth in the West because bottom feeders Arizona, San Jose, and Anaheim have even less talent to bring to the table. If the playoffs were to start tomorrow, these two teams would face off and Colorado might be the biggest favorite of the opening round.

Blues vs Avalanche Best Bet

One of the league’s best teams has home-ice advantage coming off a nine-goal drubbing of the Coyotes. They face a reeling opponent trying to light a fire under their most talented scorer up front.

Trust Grubauer to limit the Blues and the Avalanche to pile up enough goals to make the puck line the best investment on April 2nd.

Pick: Avalanche -1.5 (+108)