The 2023-24 NHL season is coming to a close next week, and there are some big games that will be taking place to round out the season. One of those big games will take place on Friday night as the Carolina Hurricanes visit the St. Louis Blues.
Carolina is working on improving playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference and they come into this game with 50 wins on the year. The Hurricanes have won four of their last five games, and they come into this matchup with momentum.
St. Louis will have some momentum as well as they have won three of their last four matchups. The Blues are sitting at 89 points on the year, and they can sneak into the playoffs with a strong finish to the year.
Carolina is a big moneyline betting favorite at -195 over the St. Louis Blues in this matchup on Friday night.
Carolina Can Score Goals
The Hurricanes are one of the most explosive teams in the NHL this season as they are averaging 3.35 goals per game. No one has been able to slow this team down on the power play as they are scoring 27 percent of the time.
Sebastian Aho is having a monster season for the Hurricanes as he leads the way with 35 goals and 52 assists on the year. This team is always looking to score with the puck, and that could prove to be the difference in this matchup.
Not only is this team scoring plenty of goals on offense, but they are holding opponents to just 2.54 goals per game. Carolina can do it all well, and that’s why they are a favorite to win the Stanley Cup.
Blues Must Defend
St. Louis is going to have to find a way to slow down the pace of this game if they want to come up with a win. The Blues are allowing just 3.05 goals per game, but they struggle to deal with the best teams in the league.
Special teams play is going to be important for the Blues as well as they are scoring on the power play just 18 percent of the time. St. Louis has been getting better on special teams, but it’s going to take a great effort.
Jordan Kyrou leads the way for this team with 29 goals this season, and he has the ability to take over any hockey game.
Hurricanes Blow Past Blues
The St. Louis Blues are an extremely desperate team heading into this matchup, and that should at least give them something to play for. St. Louis has been playing some great hockey of late, but they are also struggling in certain areas as well.
Carolina just doesn’t appear to have any flaws, and they are a team that will be looking to gain momentum for the playoffs. The Hurricanes should have a big night on offense in this game, and that will be enough to take control.
Bet the Carolina Hurricanes -195 on the moneyline as they pick up a big win in this big game on Friday night.
