NHL Betting: Blues vs Wild First Round Game 1 – 05/02/2022

The St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild were two of the hottest teams in the NHL closing the regular season, and they’re going up against each other in the first round of the playoffs. This betting guide offers some analysis on the series between the Blues and Wild, from betting on the series to the best options for tonight’s opening game.

Game 1 Moneyline and Over/Under

STL: 49-22-11, 3.77 GF/GP, 2.91 GA/GP, L10: 7-2-1

MIN: 53-22-7, 3/72 GF/GP, 3.04 GA/GP, L10: 8-1-1

The Wild wrapped up the season winning 10 of their last 12 games, and they averaged 4.41 goals during that stretch. One of those losses was to the Blues, but St. Louis won that decision 6-5 in overtime. The Blues went 12-2-1 to close out the season, but both losses happened in the last two games of the season, where St. Louis gave up 12 goals.

Jared Spurgeon Minnesota Wild
Jared Spurgeon, Minnesota Wild (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Minnesota probably has the edge in this opening game, especially playing at home. Only the Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche won more home games than the Wild this season, and the crowd at Xcel Energy Center usually goes bonkers over the first playoff game. That should give the Wild a slight edge in the opener. The Minnesota moneyline (-145) has a little value, but not as much as the over. There were 28 goals scored in the three games between these two teams this season. There’s great value in betting on a lot of goals in this one (O6.5, +100).

Game 1 Props

Kirill Kaprizov Anytime Goalscorer (+120)

Kirill Kaprizov took the league by storm in a Calder Trophy-winning campaign a year ago, and he didn’t slow down this season. He was especially tough on St. Louis this season, scoring three goals and three assists in three games. The odds for him to score a goal (+120) could be better, but this still looks like a value play for those interested in prop bets for the opening game of the series.

Kaprizov will certainly be a focus for the Blues, but the second-year star has been rock solid at home this season. He racked up nine more goals at home and scored 20 more points when playing in St. Paul than on the road. In fact, the 64 points Kaprizov scored at home would make him the Blues’ fifth-leading scorer. Look for Kaprizov to light the lamp in a highly-charged first game.

Series Betting

Minnesota might have finished ahead in the standings, but the Blues came out on top in the head-to-head meetings. The Wild have the home-ice advantage, and that could be a difference-maker if this series goes seven games. Don’t expect a sweep in this one on either side. Minnesota might have the edge for the first game, but expect St. Louis to take control of this series based on their regular-season results.

David Perron St. Louis Blues
David Perron, St. Louis Blues (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

The Blues took the season series, but all those games were close. This series will likely go six or seven games, and the odds are the same for both (+198). That’s pretty good value for two teams that are pretty evenly matched. The Wild will take at least a couple of games, but I like St. Louis to win the series. The Blues also have favorable odds (+120) to advance, and that’s a good number for a team that swept all three regular-season games.

Odds via FanDuel and BetMGM

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