St. Louis Blues vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction, 3/11/2023 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: St. Louis Blues vs Columbus Blue Jackets

Date: Saturday, March 11, 2023

Location: Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH

TV: Bally Sports Ohio

Odds/Point Spread: Blues (-118) Blue Jackets (+100)

The Columbus Blue Jackets (20-37-7) will compete against the St. Louis Blues (28-31-5) at Nationwide Arena on Saturday. The line on this contest has St. Louis at -118 and Columbus is coming in at +100. The betting total is set at 6.

The St. Louis Blues were on the right side of the scoreboard with a 4-2 victory against the Sharks in their previous outing. The Blues had a solid offensive output and it showed in this victory. For the matchup, they tallied a score on 4 out of the 30 shots they looked to score on. Moreover, they had 4 power play tries and were able to notch 1 goal. St. Louis compiled 8 minutes in the box in this matchup.

Get all of our NHL Expert Picks

St. Louis Blues opponents have 159 power play opportunities (31st in hockey) and have racked up 37 goals in those chances. The Blues have seen 2,070 shots taken against them and hold a save percentage of .887. St. Louis has taken 1,850 shots and holds a shooting percentage of 10.5%. At even strength, the Blues let the opposition score 197 goals while earning 156 themselves. St. Louis has tallied 192 power play opportunities and they have notched 38 goals out of those attempts, earning them a percentage of 19.79%. For the season, they have recorded 61 points and their points percentage is sitting at .477. When discussing scoring goals, the St. Louis Blues have accumulated 194 goals (22nd in pro hockey) so far this season and have allowed 234.

The player guarding the cage in this matchup is Jordan Binnington. Over the course of his time in hockey, Binnington has earned 108 quality starts and his quality starts percentage is .519. His save percentage is at .907 for his 12,330 minutes between the pipes. Binnington has had 6,087 shots against him and has gathered 5,521 total saves. The opposition has scored 566 goals versus Binnington in his NHL career and his goals against rate is 2.75. He has accumulated an overall mark of 112-69-25 and was named the starter in 208 games. Binnington has been involved in 212 games during his professional hockey career.

Their last time out, Columbus went up against the Penguins in a game where the Blue Jackets ended up losing by a score of 5-4. They had 2 power play opportunities in this one and recorded 1 out of those tries. The Blue Jackets tallied 4 goals of the 27 shots on goal they were seeking.

The Blue Jackets have scored 136 goals at even strength and 30 goals (31st in the NHL) while having more men on the ice. Columbus has tried 1,856 shots (27th in the league) and has a shot percentage of 8.94%, while allowing their opponents 2,259 shots. For the year, the Columbus Blue Jackets have earned 166 goals, 47 points, and a points percentage of .367. They have allowed 238 goals to be scored by of a combination of 192 goals at even strength and 46 goals while they had less men on the ice. They have earned 169 opportunities on the power play and they have a power play percentage of 17.75%. They have a penalty kill rate of 76.29% on their opponents 194 opportunities on the power play, and their save percentage currently comes in at 89.5%.

For the opposition you are going to see Elvis Merzlikins defending the net. Merzlikins is the owner of a lifetime mark of 55-61-22 and has participated in 149 contests. Merzlikins' quality start percentage comes out to 48.5% and he has 66 quality starting assignments in his professional career. He has tallied 4,107 saves out of 4,529 shots attempted against him, which gives him a rate of .907. His opponents are averaging 3.10 goals per contest and he has conceded 422 goals altogether. He has been a starter 136 contests and his ice time sits at 8,155 minutes.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy's Pick: Take St. Louis (-118)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here