Devils vs Blues Prediction, Odds & Picks (Feb. 16): New Jersey Exploits St. Louis’ Goaltending Issues

The St. Louis Blues look to win their third straight game when they host the New Jersey Devils for some NHL action on Thursday, Feb. 16. This is the second Devils vs Blues matchup of the season after St. Louis picked up a 5-3 victory at Prudential Center back in January. Only time will tell if New Jersey can get some revenge tonight.

Tune in tonight when the New Jersey Devils take on the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center.

? 09:00 PM
? ESPN
#️⃣ #NJDvsSTL pic.twitter.com/oagGc4eZ4z

— NJDevils Game Bot (@NJDevilsGameBot) February 16, 2023

This is the third outing of a four-game road trip for the Devils. After losing the first leg of their trip, the Devils bounced back with a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Not only was the victory impressive, but it also extended New Jersey’s point streak to five games in the process.

Meanwhile, the Blues have a pep in their step following a 6-2 blowout victory against the Florida Panthers two nights ago. Brayden Schenn found the back of the net twice while Ivan Barbashev finished with a three-point performance, making it interesting to see how St. Louis builds off of those performances.

Tonight’s Devils vs Blues collision also brings several betting opportunities to the table. Here’s a look at BetOnline Sportsbook’s latest odds for the game, as well as a prediction and the best bet to make, courtesy of Betting News.

New Jersey Devils vs St. Louis Blues Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: New Jersey Devils (35-13-5, 20-3-3 Away) vs. St. Louis Blues (25-25-3, 12-12-2 Home)
• Venue & Location: Enterprise Center (St. Louis, Missouri)
• Date: Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023
• Game Time: 9 p.m. Eastern Time
• Devils vs Blues TV Info: ESPN

Devils vs Blues Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Thursday, Feb. 16 at 8:33 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• New Jersey Devils -1.5 (+168)
• St. Louis Blues +1.5 (-210)

Over/Under

• Over 6.5 Goals (+100)
• Under 6.5 Goals (-122)

Moneyline

• New Jersey Devils -150
• St. Louis Blues +125

Devils vs Blues Betting Trends

• New Jersey is 15-5 straight up in its last 20 road games.
• St. Louis is 2-5 straight up in its last seven games.
• The total has hit the under in four of New Jersey’s last five games.
• The total has hit the over in each of St. Louis’ last five home games.
• The total has hit the over in three of the last four New Jersey-St. Louis matchups.

Devils Surging in 2023

Before 2022 came to an end, things didn’t look good for the Devils. After all, they had lost eight of their last 10 games before the calendar flipped over. However, the team has done a complete 180° since New Year’s Day.

The Devils have amassed a 12-2-3 record since 2023 began. New Jersey has outscored opponents 63-47 over that stretch, tallying four-plus goals on nine different occasions. Jack Luges has been the leading goal-scorer during that team, notching 15 goals in his last 14 games.

Hughes hasn’t played a game since Feb. 6 due to an upper-body injury, however, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports that there’s a chance the dynamic forward could play tonight. Even if he doesn’t, the Devils still have the likes of Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier to step up in his absence.

A strong power-play attack has also been a factor behind New Jersey’s recent success. The Devils are 11-of-45 (24.4%) on the man advantage of their last 17 games, which is noticeably above their season average of 21.0% (No. 19). Now, they get to face the Blues, who have the ninth-worst penalty kill in the NHL (75.8%).

Daily Faceoff points to Vitek Vanecek being the Devils’ starting goalie tonight, which would help them a lot. Vanecek hasn’t lost in regulation since Dec. 28, going 11-0-1 in his last 12 starts with a 2.18 goals-against average and .926 save percentage.

Blues Aim to Keep Winning at Home

The Blues may have won back-to-back games, but they’re still far from perfect. It’s important to remember that they’re just 2-5-0 in their last seven outings and have much to prove before they can be trusted.

After all, the Blues’ defense and goaltending have been nowhere to be found lately. St. Louis has surrendered an average of 4.29 goals over its last seven games, allowing four-plus goals in all but one of those outings.

What’s even worse is that the majority of those goals allowed came on 5 v 5 as only three were scored on the power play. Unfortunately for the Blues, the Devils are tied for the third-most even-strength goals in the NHL this season with 145.

Goaltender Jordan Binnington’s play has also left a lot to be desired. He’s gone 2-4 in his last six starts with a 3.94 GAA and .876%. He’ll need to stand on his head even more tonight with defenseman Torey Krug potentially being sidelined with an upper-body injury suffered on Tuesday.

At the end of the day, the Blues’ recent success could be a sign of better things to come, but it’s also a small sample size. The bigger picture shows that St. Louis has several issues that must be remedied and I’m not sure if they can be fixed before tonight’s game.

Devils vs Blues Prediction and Picks

Devils vs Blues Prediction: Devils 5, Blues 2

Devils vs Blues Picks: Devils ML (Best Value: -150 at BetOnline) & Over 6.5 Goals (Best Value: +100 at BetOnline)

As mentioned above, the Blues need to show a lot more before I can trust them against a contender like the Devils. New Jersey has been firing on all cylinders since 2023 began and I don’t see the Devils being slowed down by a team that’s been allowing a ton of goals lately.

In addition to a Devils victory, I also recommend taking the over on the 6.5-goal total. New Jersey is more than capable of filling the back of the net while St. Louis has seen the over hit in each of its last five home games. After the two sides combined for eight goals in the first Devils vs Blues matchup, another high-scoring affair wouldn’t be a surprise.

Other Devils vs Blues Betting Resources

• Devils vs Blues Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats

Other NHL Stories on Betting News (Feb. 16)

• Bruins vs Predators Prediction, Odds & Picks (Feb. 16): Boston Can’t Be Slowed Down on the Road