Golden Knights vs Blues December 12 Preview and Pick: Offense Could Get Vegas First-Ever Win in St. Louis
- Blues looking to end three-game losing streak, but still considered favorites
- Both teams have near-identical numbers in goals, special teams, shots against and projected starting goaltender stats
- Vegas has never won a game at the Enterprise Center (0-3-0 all-time)
Sportsbooks have the St. Louis Blues as the favorites at home (-115) in their first match against the Vegas Golden Knights this season tonight at 8:00 pm EST. This is Vegas’ sixth time going into a game as the underdogs. All five previous contests were road games, with the Golden Knights winning just once.
Vegas vs St. Louis Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegas | +1.5 (-260) | -105 | O 5.5 (-115) |
| St. Louis | -1.5 (+215) | -115 | U 5.5 (-105) |
All odds taken Dec. 12
Vegas Surging, Blues Struggling in December
Going into Thursday night’s bout, the Golden Knights are 3-1-1 in the month of December and have the same record in their last five road games. In five games this month, Vegas is averaging 3.0 goals per game and 2.6 goals against.
The Golden Knights have been getting the most production out of forwards Alex Tuch (3G, 4A), Reilly Smith (2G, 4A) and Jonathan Marchessault (4G, 1A) in December.
"Sometimes they go your way, sometimes they don't… We have a good team here, a lot of belief in ourselves, especially going home. (Got to) start building something here." #stlblues pic.twitter.com/CnXjwAxs0L
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 11, 2019
St. Louis on the other hand, is in the midst of a three-game losing streak this season (0-3-0), winning just once this month. Since the month started, the Blues are averaging 2.0 goals per game and an alarmingly uncharacteristic 3.25 goals against.
Teams, Projected Starting Goaltenders Match Up Closely
The projected starting goaltenders and teams themselves are neck-in-neck on many major statistical categories. St. Louis and Vegas have respectively killed 83.5 and 83.6 percent of their penalties while converting on 22.2 and 22.5 percent of their power play opportunities.
Both teams have averaged near-identical shots on goal of 31.4 (St. Louis) and 31.5 (Vegas) per game, along with goals scored this season (94, St. Louis/95, Vegas).
The stats for projected starting goaltenders for both teams—Jordan Binnington (St. Louis) and Marc-Andre Fleury (Vegas)—are also nearly indistinguishable. Both netminders have identical save percentages of .921. Binnington currently brandishes a 2.45 GAA, while Fleury’s is 2.46.
Golden Knights Have Strong Edge in Possession, Opportunities
While they’ve scored just one more goal than the Blues this season, the Golden Knights are by far the more opportunistic and superior possession team five-on-five. As the chart below shows, St. Louis doesn’t fare nearly as well.
Vegas vs St. Louis Stats
| 51.65 (8th) | CF% | 49.11 (20th) |
| 51.57 (8th) | FF% | 48.39 (21st) |
| 51.00 (11th) | SF% | 48.40 (23rd) |
| 768 (1st) | SCF | 613 (24th) |
| 55.37 (5th) | SCF% | 49.00 (21st) |
| 303 (2nd) | HDCF | 213 (29th) |
| 53.37 (5th) | HDCF% | 43.03 (30th) |
| 1,021 (1st) | SOG | 872 (23rd) |
-Data courtesy of naturalstattrick.com
Blues are Undefeated Against Vegas at Home
Over the three seasons, Vegas has been in the league, the Blues are 4-0-2 against them, winning all three games played at the Enterprise Center. St. Louis is 8-4-3 at home this season and 3-2-0 in their last five home games.
Vegas is 8-6-0 on the road, having won three of their last five road contests. If these numbers are any indication, neither team seems to have much of an edge going into tonight.
Game Pick
This is a tough one. The Blues are looking to snap a three-game losing streak, while the Golden Knights are seeking their first win ever at the Enterprise Center.
Between their proactive offense and strong start to the month, however, I’m going to say the Vegas Golden Knights get their first-ever road win (-105) against the St. Louis Blues. In what should be a close contest, the Knights on the puckline could be another way to look, or betting “Over” the game total.
Picks: Vegas Golden Knights +1.5 (-260), Over 5.5 (-115)
Mike has been covering the NHL for over 10 years, having first started publishing fan-written content on independent sites like Hockeybuzz.com and more credentialed sites such as Hockey Guys. He is now a contributor for Pucks and Pitchforks. He currently lives in Westchester County, New York.
