The San Jose Sharks battle the St. Louis Blues on Saturday in Game 1 of the NHL Western Conference Playoff Finals. San Jose takes on the Blues at home. Which team will get the series off to a great start? Check out our NHL Playoff betting odds, analysis, and a free pick for Sharks-Blues Game 1!
Sharks vs Blues Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 1 Odds, Analysis and Pick
Second round: ✅
INFOGRAPHIC: https://t.co/fkt0AmYKI7 pic.twitter.com/YWKRNNAfg9 — x – San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) May 9, 2019
- When: Saturday, May 11 at 8:00pm ET
- Where: SAP Center, San Jose, CA
- TV: NHL
- Radio: San Jose / St. Louis
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
- Moneyline Odds: Sharks -125
Why St. Louis Blues are a good bet to win at +105?
St. Louis heads into this matchup on a mini-roll. The Blues beat Dallas twice in a row to stamp their ticket to the conference finals. In Game 6, St. Louis beat the Stars 4-1 in Dallas. They then beat the Stars 2-1 in overtime in Game 7.
San Jose isn’t unbeatable at home. St. Louis is playing well enough to give the Sharks all they can handle up until the end of the third period. They have a chance to win this match on Saturday.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Goals For: 2.5
- Shots For: 30.7
- Power Plays: 21%
- Face-Offs: 51.9%
- Goals Against: 2.4
- Shots Against: 31.6
- Penalty Kills: 82.8%
- Shutouts: 6
Why San Jose Sharks are a good bet to win at -125?
It took San Jose 7 games to beat the Colorado Avalanche. Although the Sharks had to fight hard, they prevailed. They played great in the match. Although Colorado out shot them 15-2 in the third period, San Jose held on to a 3-2 lead.
At home, the Sharks are rock solid. They’ve gone 31-13-2-3 on their own ice. San Jose will want to get off to a great start in the series. They have the edge over the Blues because it takes place in San Jose. They should take Game 1.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Goals For: 3.5
- Shots For: 33
- Power Plays: 23.7%
- Face-Offs: 50.3%
- Goals Against: 3.1
- Shots Against: 28.3
- Penalty Kills: 80.8%
- Shutouts: 4
NHL Betting Trends for Sharks vs Blues
- Blues are 7-1 in their last 8 games as an underdog
- Blues are 6-1 in their last 7 games as a road underdog
- Blues are 5-1 in their last 6 road games
- Sharks are 5-1 in their last 6 home games
- Sharks are 5-1 in their last 6 games as a home favorite
- Favorite is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings
Blues vs Sharks Game 1 NHL Betting Analysis
Trends favor both squads in what should be a competitive NHL Stanley Cup Western Conference Finals series. Both teams have faced adversity already in the playoffs and prevailed.
San Jose had that crazy Game 7 versus Vegas in the first round. St. Louis had to beat two Central Division foes to get here. Although both teams have come out ahead after facing some difficulty, St. Louis deserves more consideration to win Game 1.
The Sharks struggled with the Avalanche. The Blues had to beat Ben Bishop, Dallas’ excellent goalie, two times in a row. One of the wins happened on the road in Game 6. St. Louis could surprise the Sharks in Game 1 on Saturday.
NHL Free Pick: Blues +105
