The St. Louis Blues refuse to give in – and that means the Stanley Cup final is now a best-of-three series as the Blues and Boston Bruins prepare for Game 5 on Thursday night at TD Garden.
The Blues evened the series at two wins apiece with a 4-2 triumph at home in Game 4, marking the fifth consecutive time St. Louis has answered a loss with a victory in the postseason. But putting together two consecutive wins could prove difficult against a Bruins team that is outscoring the opposition by an average of 1.09 goals per game so far in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
We size up the Stanley Cup final odds for the Blues and Bruins and give our best bets and NHL predictions for Game 5.
St. Louis Blues at Boston Bruins (-155, 5.5)
Series: Tied 2-2
Series Price: Boston -147, St. Louis +105 at SportsInteraction
QUICK-HITTER
These teams have come out firing in the first period, which has provided great payoffs to those who have taken the Over. And while there isn't quite the same value in the Over 1.5 first-period goals for Thursday's fifth game, it might still be worth considering given that the Blues and Bruins are averaging 2.5 first-period goals per game in this series. That includes a three-game stretch in which the teams have combined for three first-period tallies in each contest. Look for these teams to keep the early fireworks going.
PREDICTION: Over 1.5 first-period goals (+115)
PERIOD BET
The Bruins' third periods at home have seen plenty of offense. Boston and its opponent have combined for three or more third-period goals in five of their last eight playoff contests at TD Garden, with the teams combining to average 2.75 goals per contest over that eight-game span. The teams scored five total goals in the third period of their two meetings in St. Louis, and given how explosive things have been in the third period of Boston's recent home meetings, there could be plenty of late offense in Game 5.
PREDICTION: Three or more third-period goals (+215)
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TEAM/PLAYER BET
There's a prop that leaves us scratching our heads – not because it's being offered, but because the odds are rather generous given past precedent between the teams. Both sides have scored two or more goals in every game in this series: the Bruins have struck twice or more in each of their previous 11 postseason games dating back to their second-round win over Columbus, while the Blues have scored 2 or more goals in 12 straight. We really like both of these teams to keep their respective streaks alive.
PREDICTION: Both teams to score two or more goals: Yes (-130)
FULL-GAME TOTAL
Based on just about everything we've already talked about, we have strong feelings about which way this one will go from a totals perspective. The teams have combined for six or more goals in three of the first four games of the series, and it might be a tall task for the Blues to limit Boston's elite offense to just 23 shots, as it did in Game 4. Oddsmakers are punishing bettors for taking the Under, but it's still the superior play.
PREDICTION: Under 5.5 (-145)
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FULL-GAME SIDE
The potential absence of Zdeno Chara could make things more difficult on the Bruins, but they've been playing inspired hockey over the past month (Monday's clunker aside). Boston has lost consecutive games just once in the postseason, while reeling off victories in nine of 11 with seven multi-goal triumphs over that stretch. Not only are the Bruins well-positioned to re-take the series lead, they're a decent play to win by multiple goals on home ice.
PREDICTION: Boston -1.5 (+180)
