Analysis
Blues vs Wild Prediction, Picks & Odds (Oct 15, 2026)
By SportsHub Model · Edited by Kyle Parker
Last updated: October 15, 2026 | Odds checked: October 15, 2026, 9:14 AM ET
The St. Louis Blues (3-2-1) visit the Minnesota Wild (4-2-1) on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. ET at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, streaming on ESPN+. Minnesota is a -143 home favorite, but the Blues arrive after scoring 12 goals in their last two games. Our call: no edge. Our model makes the Wild a 56% winner at low confidence, below the 58.8% the price already implies.
Blues vs Wild Odds
| Market | Blues | Wild |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | +118 to +125 | -143 to -149 |
| Puck line | +1.5 (-200 to -222) | -1.5 (+165 to +180) |
| Total 5.5 | Over -132 to -135 | Under +108 to +114 |
The -143 price gives Minnesota a 58.8% implied win probability. The market expects goals: the over at 5.5 is juiced to -135 at most books, and a couple of books deal 6.
Blues: The Offense Has Woken Up
St. Louis dropped three straight (one in overtime) while scoring five total goals, then exploded for 12 goals in two wins, capped by Tuesday's 7-2 rout at Ottawa.
- Mason McTavish scored twice in Ottawa and has 6 points (3G, 3A) during a four-game point streak.
- Jake Neighbours has 3 goals in his last two games; Pius Suter had two goals and an assist in Ottawa; Pavel Buchnevich added three assists.
- The Blues rank 8th in scoring at 3.50 goals per game, but allow 3.00 (15th).
- Special teams: a 14.3% power play (26th) and an 89.5% penalty kill (7th).
- Goalie: Joel Hofer started the win at Ottawa; St. Louis had not confirmed Thursday's starter between Hofer and Jordan Binnington at last check.
Wild: Kaprizov and the League's Best Power Play
Minnesota lost 5-2 at Winnipeg on Tuesday, though Kirill Kaprizov scored twice.
- Kaprizov leads the NHL with 8 goals, including 5 in his last three games. He has 21 points (9G, 12A) in 21 career games against St. Louis.
- Quinn Hughes has a point in all seven Wild games, 10 points (2G, 8A).
- The Wild power play ranks 1st at 36.8% (7-for-19), and the penalty kill is 4th at 91.7%.
- Minnesota allows just 2.29 goals per game, 3rd in the NHL.
- Goalie: Filip Gustavsson is on injured reserve (hip). Jesper Wallstedt was 3-1-1 with a 1.78 GAA and .936 save percentage entering Monday's start, and Calvin Pickard made 20 saves in his Wild debut at Winnipeg. No starter was confirmed at last check.
Key Matchup: Minnesota's Power Play vs the Blues' Kill
| Stat | Blues | Wild |
|---|---|---|
| Goals per game | 3.50 | 3.00 |
| Goals against per game | 3.00 | 2.29 |
| Power play | 14.3% | 36.8% |
| Penalty kill | 89.5% | 91.7% |
Both penalty kills are top-10, so something gives. Minnesota's power play is converting more than a third of its chances, while St. Louis has killed 17 of 19. The Blues also have history on their side in this building: they are 3-1-0 in their last four games in Minnesota, outscoring the Wild 17-12. This is the first of four meetings this season.
Injury Report
| Team | Player | Pos | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIN | Brock Faber | D | Out |
| MIN | Filip Gustavsson | G | IR |
| MIN | Jared Spurgeon | D | Day-to-day |
| STL | Dillon Dube | C | IR |
| STL | Torey Krug | D | IR |
Minnesota is also without Nico Sturm (C), Marcus Foligno (LW) and Nick Foligno (LW), all on injured reserve. St. Louis is missing Alexey Toropchenko (RW), Tyler Tucker (D) and Logan Mailloux (D).
Hot NHL Handicappers: Efficiency Over Volume
Two of our NHL handicappers have stood out for return on investment over the last 15 days (Oct 1–15):
- Pro Picks - James: 11-3 (78.6%), +$776, 38.5% ROI.
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Those are smaller samples than the volume leaders, so weigh them accordingly: Keylor Santos tops the 15-day board by net at 23-9, +$1,252 (31.9% ROI). Every record is on the handicapper leaderboard.
Blues vs Wild Prediction
No edge from our model on this game.
- Price vs projection: the model has Minnesota at 56%, below the 58.8% implied by -143, and rates it low confidence.
- Minnesota's case: the No. 1 power play (36.8%), a defense allowing 2.29 goals and Kaprizov's 8 goals.
- St. Louis's case: 12 goals in two games, a top-10 penalty kill (89.5%) and a 3-1-0 run in its last four visits.
- The total: 5.5 with the over at -135 already prices in the scoring; our analysis doesn't find a gap there either.
The risk for either side: both goalie jobs are unsettled, with Gustavsson out and no confirmed starters. We expect a one-goal game, which is why we are passing on a side.
More hockey: the hockey hub, all NHL picks, the handicapper leaderboard and tonight's Jets vs Blackhawks preview.
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