The St. Louis Blues are looking to move up to second in the Central Division by extending their three-game win streak and handing the Colorado Avalanche their fifth-straight loss.
The Avs have lost to Washington, Seattle, Edmonton, and Winnipeg in just the last eight days, but one has to wonder how motivated they are having already clinched the No. 1 seed.
Can St. Louis add to Colorado’s misery, or will the Avalanche find a way to win their first game in nearly 10 days? We break it all down in our NHL betting picks and predictions for Blues vs. Avalanche on Tuesday, April 26.
Blues vs Avalanche odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
Despite a four-game losing streak, the Avalanche opened as a -167 moneyline favorite, and it soon went as high as -175 at DraftKings, while BetRivers has it at -167. The Blues opened as a +140 underdog and went up to +150 at WynnBet and DraftKings.
The total opened at 5.5 but has gone as high as 6.5 at several sportsbooks. The Under is listed at -110 with the Over installed at +100 across most books.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Blues vs Avalanche predictions
Predictions made on 4/26/2022 at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Blues vs Avalanche game info
• Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
• Date: Tuesday, April 26, 2022
• Puck drop: 9:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
Blues vs Avalanche betting preview
Key injuries
Blues: MacKenzie MacEachern F (Out), Brayden Schenn C (Questionable), Robert Bortuzzo D (Questionable), Torey Krug D (Questionable), Scott Perunovich D (Out).
Avalanche: Devon Toews D (Out), Mikko Rantanen F (Questionable), Ryan Murray D (Out), Gabriel Landeskog F (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Blues vs Avalanche head-to-head record
Blues: 4-6 SU, 29 goals for.
Avalanche: 6-4 SU, 33 goals for.
Betting trend to know
The Blues are 7-0 in their last seven road contests. Find more NHL betting trends for Blues vs. Avalanche.
Blues vs Avalanche picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
The Colorado Avalanche couldn’t have picked a worse time to fall into a slump, having lost their last four games, including a 3-2 decision to the expansion Seattle Kraken.
Colorado does have injury issues, however. Gabriel Landeskog has been out since March 10 with a knee injury that required surgery. The team has no set timetable for his return but hopes he can be good to go for a playoff run.
Losing Landeskog was a blow. Before his injury, he was the team’s leading goal scorer (30), but the new scoring leader for the Avs is also away from the action.
Mikko Rantanen (36 goals, 55 assists), has been out with a non-COVID illness. He could possibly return for Tuesday's contest, but if not, Colorado will be missing a big chunk of its offense.
Those two guys being off the ice has played a huge role in this recent slump. Since they went down, the team has scored totals of one, two, and three goals. In the three games prior to Rantanen going down, the Avs scored three, seven, and two.
As cold as Colorado has been, the Blues have been equally as hot. St. Louis is third in the league in goals per game average at 3.78. They are also second in power-play percentage, converting 26.5% of the time.
The Blues are 7-0 in their last seven road games, and 10-1 in their last 11 games following a win. Back them tonight.
Prediction: Blues moneyline (+150 at WynnBET)
Over/Under analysis
Even with the Avalanche missing two top goal scorers, this is a game that should provide plenty of offense. The Blues are third in the NHL in goals per game, and the Avalanche are just one spot below them.
Both teams are respectable on defense, ranking eighth and 10th in goals against per game, but the Blues have been pounding the Over of late, going 9-0-2 in their last 11 games as a road underdog and 4-0 in their last four against Central Division opponents.
The Avs, however, have an injury on the blue line that could be concerning. Devon Toews has been out since the team's three-game road trip. He's listed as questionable for today's contest, but if he can play, he said he will.
The Over is also 5-0 in the last five meetings between these clubs. If Toews and/or Rantanen play Tuesday, I like it even more.
Prediction: Over 6.5 (+100 at BetRivers)
Best bet
Many think of Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko as only a scorer, but that would be a mistake. While Tarasenko has a team-leading 34 goals, he also has 48 assists, second only to center Robert Thomas.
Tarasenko is currently on a streak of five games where he has tallied at least one assist. Playing on the top line with Thomas and left wing Pavel Buchnevich definitely helps pad his stats, with those two guys combining for 50 goals on the year.
The right-winger also benefits from being on the power play’s first unit, where he occupies the point. The Blues are second in power-play conversions at 26.5%.
The Avalanche might help out in that department as well, ranking 17th in penalty minutes. Tarasenko should get enough looks Tuesday night to keep his assists streak alive.
Pick: Vladimir Tarasenko Over 0.5 assists (+145 at DraftKings)
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