Hurricanes vs. Blues: Expert Pick, Odds, and Analysis, February 21st, 2023

Odds

2021-2022 season stats

Preview

The St. Louis Blues will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina to take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at the PNC Arena. This game is set to start at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and it will be the second time the two teams will meet in the regular season. The Carolina Hurricanes won the previous matchup 6-4, and they will look to repeat their success in Tuesday's game.

The Carolina Hurricanes are the favorites coming into this matchup, with an overall record of 37-10-8, which places them first in the Metropolitan Division. They have been in excellent form this season, especially at home, with a record of 19-6-2. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues are sixth in the Central Division with a record of 26-27-3.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have been in red-hot form in their last ten games, winning nine of them while averaging 4.2 goals and 6.5 assists per game. They have been nearly unbeatable in games decided by a goal, with a record of 16-0-6. Carolina has the best goal differential in the league at +58, which is a testament to their well-balanced team.

Carolina has a strong defensive unit led by Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce. Slavin is one of the best defenders in the league, and he leads the Hurricanes in ice time per game with 22:53. Meanwhile, Pesce is an excellent shot-blocker and has recorded 84 blocks so far this season. The Hurricanes have allowed just 2.4 goals per game this season, which is the second-best in the league.

Offensively, the Hurricanes have been excellent this season, with several players contributing to their success. Sebastian Aho has been the standout player for Carolina, with 24 goals and 25 assists. He has been a consistent performer for the Hurricanes over the years, and he is currently on pace to record a career-high in points. Andrei Svechnikov has also been in excellent form with nine assists in the last ten games, while Vincent Trocheck has been excellent as well, with 21 goals and 19 assists.

Injury Concerns

The Hurricanes have some injury concerns, with Ondrej Kase, Jake Gardiner, and Max Pacioretty all out due to various injuries.

St Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues are coming into this matchup after a disappointing loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, where they were defeated 3-2. They have struggled for consistency this season and have been in poor form in their last ten games, winning just three of them.

Offensively, the Blues have been led by Brayden Schenn, who has 16 goals and 27 assists. He has been a consistent performer for the team over the years, and he is currently on pace to record a career-high in assists. Meanwhile, Jordan Kyrou has been in good form with four goals and seven assists in the last ten games.

Defensively, the Blues have struggled this season, with several players underperforming. Torey Krug was brought in to replace the departed Alex Pietrangelo, but he has not lived up to expectations, recording just 19 points in 52 games. Meanwhile, Justin Faulk has been inconsistent, and he has recorded just two points in his last ten games.

Injury Concerns

The Blues have several players on their injury list, including Jake Neighbours, Marco Scandella, Pavel Buchnevich, and Brandon Saad.

BETTING TRENDS

Carolina are 9-4 SU in their last 13 games.

Carolina are 12-4 SU in their last 16 games against St. Louis.

The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Carolina's last 10 games on the road.

Carolina are 7-0 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against St. Louis.

Carolina are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games against an opponent in the Western Conference conference.

The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis' last 6 games at home.

St. Louis are 0-7 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against Carolina.

St. Louis are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games against an opponent in the Western Conference conference.

The total has gone OVER in 16 of St. Louis' last 20 games played on a Saturday.

Prediction

The Hurricanes will look to continue their dominance at home and extend their winning streak, while the Blues will look to bounce back from a disappointing loss and get their season back on track. The Blues have a record of 13-14-1 on the road, which is not too shabby. If they can put together a solid defensive performance and take advantage of any scoring opportunities that come their way, they could cause an upset.

One thing that could work in the Blues' favor is their recent success in games where they score at least three goals. They have a record of 23-6-2 in such games, which is impressive. If they can find a way to score early and often, they could put the Hurricanes under pressure and force them to make mistakes.

The Carolina Hurricanes are the favorites to win this game, but the St. Louis Blues have the ability to cause an upset. The Hurricanes have been in excellent form this season, and they will look to continue their dominance at home. However, the Blues have been a better team on the road this season and have the ability to score goals so I think they can keep this game close enough to cover the puck line.

PICK: Blues +1.5 (+110)

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