Sharks vs. Blues Game 3 Prediction: NHL Playoffs Betting Odds
The NHL’s Western Conference Finals between the Sharks and Blues shifts to St. Louis for Game 3 on Wednesday night with it tied 1-1. The Blues are favoured to take a 2-1 lead but not on the series line.
Sharks vs. Blues NHL Playoffs Betting Analysis
When a best-of-seven NHL conference finals or semifinals are tied at 1-1, the Game 3 winner goes on to take the series 76.1 percent of the time.
San Jose is 3-3 on the road in these playoffs and lost its last away game, 4-3 in overtime in Game 6 of the last round vs. Colorado. St. Louis is 3-4 at home and won its last game there, 2-1 in double overtime in Game 7 of the last round vs. Dallas.
In the regular season, these teams played in St. Louis once and the Blues were 4-0 winners way back on Nov. 9 – stellar Blues rookie netminder Jordan Binnington was still in the minors. Chad Johnson stopped 32 shots in the shutout. Jaden Schwartz had a goal and assist as the Blues scored in every period. Aaron Dell was in net for San Jose.
On the updated Sports Interaction series line, the Sharks are -133 favourites and Blues -105. We still like San Jose in seven.
San Jose Sharks
Should have known better to back San Jose in Game 2 as the Sharks, who lost 4-2, are now 0-3 in Game 2s in these playoffs and 1-6 in all even-numbered games with a minus-13 goal differential. In odd-numbered games, San Jose is 8-1 with a plus-14 goal differential. Logan Couture had both Sharks goals in Game 2, tying it 2-2 early in the second period. One was short-handed. He leads all players this post-season 13 goals and 19 points. Couture also reached 100 career playoff points, the 11th active player to reach that total. Couture’s 100 since his playoff debut nine years ago is fourth among active players behind Sidney Crosby (123), Patrick Kane (109) and Evgeni Malkin (106). Martin Jones allowed four goals on 25 shots and is 9-6 with a 2.83 GAA and .906 SV this postseason.
St. Louis Blues
Robert Bertuzzo scored the game-winning goal at 16:34 of the second on Monday for St. Louis, his first goal of these playoffs. It was only his 15th career NHL goal in 366 combined regular-season and playoff games. He’s a former star of the Kitchener Rangers, leading that club to OHL title in 2007-08. Oskar Sundqvist’s third post-season goal at 16:52 of the third clinched the win, and Schwartz (ninth of playoffs) and Vince Dunn (second) had the other goals. Binnington turned aside 24 of 26 shots, including all 11 in the third period. He has won nine games this postseason and is one shy of becoming the 10th rookie goaltender to reach double-digit victories. Patrick Roy, Ron Hextall, Cam Ward and Matt Murray hold the record with 15 apiece. If the Blues win the Cup and Bennington starts each game, as he should, he would get to 16.
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