St. Louis (0-0) at Winnipeg (0-0)
- When: Apr 19 2025, 6:00 PM
- Where: Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg, MB, CAN
- TV: TNT
Blues vs Jets Game 1 Betting Preview & Prediction
Moneyline Favorite: Winnipeg -198
Total: 5.0
The Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues face off in a crucial Game 1 to kick off their Western Conference first-round playoff series. The Jets enter as solid home favorites, with elite goaltending and momentum on their side, while the Blues are leaning on playoff-tested veterans and past championship experience to pull off the upset.
Winnipeg Jets Outlook
The Jets are riding the strong play of Vezina frontrunner Connor Hellebuyck, who wrapped up the regular season as one of the NHL’s most dominant goaltenders. He led the league in GAA (2.00), posted a league-best 8 shutouts, and won a franchise-record 47 games — just one win shy of tying the second-most wins in a single NHL season.
Hellebuyck’s playoff readiness isn’t in question. He has a dominant 17-6-2 career record against St. Louis, including a 2.03 GAA and a .928 save percentage. With Winnipeg securing home ice, the Jets will look to capitalize early and set the tone with structured defense and opportunistic scoring.
This is a team built for a deep run, and they’ve been one of the most complete squads over the final stretch of the regular season.
St. Louis Blues Outlook
The Blues enter as underdogs but are far from pushovers. With Jordan Binnington backstopping them, St. Louis leans on postseason experience. Binnington had a decent regular season (2.69 GAA, .900 SV%) and brings a Stanley Cup pedigree that can’t be ignored — he led St. Louis to the title in 2019, beating these same Jets in the opening round.
St. Louis boasts a veteran blue line with over 4,000 combined NHL games played. Add to that the offensive leadership of players like Jordan Kyrou, Brayden Schenn, and Robert Thomas — all capable of rising to the occasion.
The key for the Blues is to weather the early storm and grind down Winnipeg with physical play and disciplined defense. Binnington will need to stand on his head for St. Louis to steal one on the road.
Prediction
While the Blues have the postseason pedigree, Winnipeg’s goaltending and consistency give them the upper hand here. Expect the Jets to dictate the pace at home, suffocate St. Louis offensively, and lean on Hellebuyck to lock things down.
Score Prediction: Jets 3, Blues 1
Best Bet: Jets -1.5 (+137) – Under 5.0 (+125)
Lean: Winnipeg to win in regulation.
- NHL Odds source: MyBookie Sportsbook
