The Winnipeg Jets will play against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday in the first game of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs opening round. The game will be hosted by the Jets in Winnipeg. Winnipeg finished first in the Western Conference in the regular season and has won four of their last five games. The Blues made it to the playoffs as the second wild-card team in the West after winning their last regular-season game against the Utah Hockey Club 6-1.
The game will start at 6 p.m. ET at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. According to betting odds, Winnipeg is favored to win. The odds are -185 on the money line, meaning you need to bet $185 to win $100. The total goals expected in the game are set at 5.5. The Jets are also -1.5 (+147) on the puck line. SportsLine`s model has predictions for this NHL game.
SportsLine`s prediction model simulates each NHL game 10,000 times. It was successful in the 2024-25 NHL regular season, especially with top-rated puck-line and over/under picks. It had a record of 77-53, making a profit of over $1,600 for $100 bettors.
Here are three recommended bets for the Jets vs. Blues game on Saturday:
Blues +1.5 to cover the puck line (-177)
The Jets won three out of four games against the Blues this season, but in two of those games, St. Louis lost by only one goal. One close game was on February 22 when St. Louis tied the game 3-3 with two goals in the third period, sending it to overtime. Winnipeg eventually won 4-3 in a shootout. The prediction model suggests the Blues are likely to cover the puck line in more than 60% of the simulations.
Over 5.5 total goals (+122)
Connor Hellebuyck of the Jets had the best goals-against average in the NHL this season at 2.01. However, he has only had one shutout in his last eight starts. St. Louis games have gone over the total goals in five of their last six games, and they have scored at least one goal against Winnipeg in each of their four games this season. The Over is at +120 at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Kyle Connor Anytime Goalscorer (+125)
Connor was Winnipeg`s top scorer this season, scoring 41 goals in 82 games, ranking seventh in the league. He has scored one goal and assisted twice in four games against the Blues this season. He is also entering the playoffs with three goals in his last four games. This bet is listed at +125 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
