Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues Game 3 Prediction, NHL Playoff Odds
Winnipeg is a slight -120 favourite on the NHL odds with a total of only five goals for Game 3.
Jets vs. Blues NHL Betting Odds
With Winnipeg taking Game 2 of the series 2-1 on Monday to hold serve at home for a 2-0 lead, the Jets are now -1400 on the series line (were -500) and St. Louis +800 (was +375). Winnipeg in five games had been the +190 leader entering Game 2 but is now +190 behind a sweep at +150. The Jets haven’t won a postseason series since they swept Edmonton in 2021. Blues in six is now the +2500 longshot. That the series ends in four is also the +190 leader.
We have come fairly close to overtime in each of the first two games but not yet. That there will be no games in OT the entire series is +110 with one at +135, and I still lean one. We haven’t been close to a shutout yet, and that there are none in the series is -200 with one at +230.
All-time in a best-of-seven series it leads 2-0, Winnipeg is 2-0. In such a series where the Blues trail 2-0, they are 1-17 and 1-13 when starting on the road. All-time in home Game 3s, the franchise is 18-17.
Winnipeg was 2-0 in St. Louis during the regular season, winning 3-2 on Oct. 22 and 4-3 in a shootout on Feb. 22. Connor Hellebuyck started the first in net and backup Eric Comrie the second – we shouldn’t see Comrie this series barring injury to Hellebuyck. Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer each started one of those games for the Blues.
Winnipeg Jets
The Jets got their second goals of the series from Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor in the 2-1 win on Monday with Connor’s the winner at 1:43 of the third. Connor scored his second third period go-ahead goal for the Jets in these playoffs after also doing so in Game 1, which are the most in franchise history. He also became the fourth NHL player league-wide in the past 20 years with the game-winning goal in consecutive games to open the playoffs. The last was the Rangers’ Chris Kreider in 2023. Connor is second with four points in this series to five for Scheifele, who also assisted on Connor’s goal. The Jets have won 20 consecutive games when Connor scores a goal.
After totalling three points in the opener, Scheifele became the first player in Jets/Thrashers history to record multiple points in each of their first two contests of a playoff year. Both Scheifele and Connor look to tie the franchise record of three straight games with a goal to open a postseason set by Adam Lowry in 2023 and Patrik Laine in 2019. Connor Hellebuyck was a bit shaky in Game 1 but very sharp in Game 2. While the sure-fire Vezina winner has been dominant on home ice this season, he’s “only” 20-9-0 with a 2.43 ERA on the road. Centre Gabriel Vilardi has missed the past 13 games injured and remains day-to-day. The under is 11-2 in Winnipeg’s past 13 games.
St. Louis Blues
The only Blues goal on Monday came from Jimmy Snuggerud on the power play with just two seconds remaining in the first period. Snuggerud became the third Blues player over the past 15 years to score his first career playoff goal at age 20 or younger. Following Snuggerud’s goal, St. Louis was 3-for-4 on the power play in the series, but the Blues were unable to score on three other power plays in Game 2. Incidentally, Snuggerud’s father, Dave, skated five NHL playoff games alongside Jets head coach Scott Arniel with the 1990 Buffalo Sabres.
Jordan Binnington perhaps deserved better in Game 2 in stopping 20 shots but fell 10-11 in 21 appearance immediately following a playoff loss. It is possible that Joel Hofer gets a shot in net Thursday as he was a very good 8-3-1 with a 2.40 GAA at home during the regular season, but the Winnipeg native has never appeared in a postseason game. The Blues have won 11 straight home games with their last loss against the Jets on Feb. 22.
WIN
STL