St. Louis Blues vs New Jersey Devils, NHL Picks

This projection and current market action are supplementary and do not influence the final qualitative pick and analysis of today's game.

St. Louis gets the nod here because the goaltending gap is real and the matchup tilts in their favor in the specific areas that matter most. Hofer has been the more reliable presence in the 2026-27 season, already posting a shutout and carrying above average numbers, while Allen has been leaking goals consistently and has not held a clean sheet across any of his starts, meaning New Jersey has to outscore their own goalie just to win. The Blues also bring a solid power play and a penalty kill that ranks among the better ones in the league, running directly into a Devils penalty kill that sits well below league average, which gives St. Louis a genuine structural edge if they can draw calls. The strongest counterargument is that St. Louis arrives with a depleted defensive corps, missing Torey Krug and additional players, traveling into a building where New Jersey has built a strong home record in the 2026-27 season while the Blues have struggled on the road and sit below the overall midpoint. That concern is real, but it does not erase the fact that Allen has been soft enough to keep any opponent in the game, and a Blues team that can generate shots, draw penalties, and lean on Hofer has the tools to stay competitive and steal the result on the road.

The under fits this game because the dominant factors on both sides point toward a tight, low scoring contest rather than a high event game. Hofer has been above average in the 2026-27 season and has proven he can completely shut things down, and he is facing a Devils offense that produces volume but finishes in the lower half of the league despite the shot totals. On the other side, the Devils have been one of the better defensive clubs in the 2026-27 season, ranking comfortably in the top third in goals against, and a Blues offense that has sat below the league's scoring midpoint all season with a middling power play is not well positioned to light them up. Allen has been the shakier goalie and is the clearest threat to the under, because if he keeps giving back goals at his current rate the Devils will need to put up numbers to compensate, which could push the total up. That counterargument is the most legitimate one in this matchup, but it is offset by New Jersey's defensive structure limiting the shots and chances St. Louis can generate in the first place, and by the Blues carrying one of the better penalty kills in the league to neutralize a situation where Allen's leakiness would typically be exposed. Two limited offenses, the stronger goalie on the road side, and a defensive Devils structure at home all lean the same direction.