The St. Louis Blues take on the Winnipeg Jets in Game 5 of this best-of-7 series in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs Wednesday. Puck drop from Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is set for 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Blues vs. Jets odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: Tied 2-2 with both teams winning 2 home games
The Blues demoralized the Jets and chased likely Vezina Trophy-winning G Connor Hellebuyck for the second straight game in a 5-1 finish in Game 4 Sunday. The Jets actually came out and got a 1-0 lead in the first, and the Blues answered with 5 straight goals. LW Jake Neighbours got the team on the board with less than 30 seconds to go in the first with a deflection goal. C Brayden Schenn and C Robert Thomas added goals of their own. D Tyler Tucker scored a goal from the point, but he was injured late in the game and had to be helped off the ice. The team has dubbed him as “day-to-day”, but he is out for Game 5. Cagey veteran Ryan Suter will replace him.
This series is tied at 2, but it really feels like Winnipeg is in panic mode. A radio station in Winnipeg actually came out and said this game is the most important of the franchise’s history and feared the team could relocate if they drop the series. But in reality, they still own home-ice advantage, and they are so tough to beat at home. The Jets are 10-2-1 at home since the Four Nations Faceoff. LW Kyle Connor got back into the scoresheet in Game 4 with his third goal of the series.
Stream the NHL all season on ESPN+, with your team’s out-of-market games, exclusive games, originals and more. Get ESPN+ now!
Blues at Jets odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:36 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Blues +150 (bet $100 to win $150) | Jets -180 (bet $180 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Blues +1.5 (-185) | Jets -1.5 (+150)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: +120 | U: -140)
Blues at Jets projected goalies
Jordan Binnington (28-22-5, 2.69 GAA, .900 SV%, 3 SO in regular season) vs. Connor Hellebuyck (47-12-3, 2.01 GAA, .925 SV%, 8 SO in regular season)
Binner stopped 30 of 31 shots in Game 4. He has allowed 7 goals on 73 shots at 5-on-5 in this series. Of those 7, though, 6 of them were high-danger chances. He has stopped 14 of 20 high-danger chances in the series. The confidence he has given the squad in front of him has been the difference in the series. He now has a 2.29 GAA and .907 SV% in the series.
Hellebuyck made 13 saves on 18 shots in Game 4. Binner has been the better goalie in this series, and he’s getting under Hellebuyck’s skin. Binnington is regarded as the best goalie at handling the puck, and Hellebuyck tried to do that in Game 3, and it bit him. Thomas stole the puck from him, and RW Pavel Buchnevich scored to put the game out of reach. He did the exact same thing in Game 4, and this time RW Jordan Kyrou stole the puck from him, but Neighbours missed a wide-open net. Hellebuyck Is 0-6 with 29 goals allowed in his last 6 road playoff games for .835 SV%. He has also stopped 7 of 14 high-danger chances.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Blues at Jets picks and predictions
Prediction
Blues 3, Jets 2
Moneyline
The Jets are the better team. However, the Blues are playing with house money right now and are the tougher team. The Jets have not won a playoff game after a loss since 2019. They were swept by Montreal in 2021. They won Game 1 against Vegas in ’23 and lost the next 4. They won Game 1 against Colorado in ‘2024 and lost the next 4.
The Jets SHOULD win this game. They’re getting C Gabe Villardi (upper body) back for Game 5, and he had 27 goals in the regular season. He’ll also go up on their top power-play unit. He has been out since March, and the Blues are going to test his health early.
But it usually takes players a game or more to kick off the rust and become a factor – and these playoff ghosts appear to be swirling around Winnipeg. Also, the Blues were the only Central Division team to win in this building this year.
I’m taking the BLUES (+150).
Puck line/Against the spread
I’m going right back to the well with COLTON PARAYKO OVER 1.5 SHOTS (-110). It has cashed in 3 straight games, and he remains a key to the offense from the point and pinching in.
Over/Under
This series has gone Over in 3 of the 4 games, but I really feel it’s going to come back to the Under side. The Jets will have the home crowd behind them, and I look for the space to tighten up. I don’t like the price, but it makes sense.
Give me the UNDER 5.5 (-140).
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow @rdodsonsports on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling. We do our best to make sure all the information that we provide on this site is correct. However, from time to time mistakes will be made and we will not be held liable. Please check any stats or information if you are unsure how accurate they are. No guarantees are made with regards to results or financial gain. All forms of betting carry financial risk and it is up to the individual to make bets with or without the assistance of information provided on this site and we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of following the betting tips provided on this site. Past performances do not guarantee success in the future and betting odds fluctuate from one minute to the next. The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. It is your sole responsibility to act in accordance with your local laws.
