NHL Betting Preview: San Jose Sharks vs. St. Louis Blues Game 2 Odds, Analysis

The San Jose Sharks were the best road team in the NHL during the regular season and must find a way to win at least once at St. Louis to make it past the Blues and into the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history.

After coming up short in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final on Sunday in a 2-1 loss, the Sharks are listed as +110 underdogs (bet $100 to win $110) for Game 2 against the Blues, who are -130 favorites (bet $130 to win $100) at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.

San Jose is 31-12-5 away from home dating back to the regular season for a league-leading profit of $1,344 based on $100 wagers. St. Louis ranks second at 30-13-5 for $1,300 on the road compared to its home mark of 28-15-6 for $1,155.

However, the Sharks have lost four straight road games, and the under cashed for the first time in its last 10 overall in Game 1, as 22-year-old center Tomas Hertl netted their lone goal for his third of the postseason.

The Blues saw the total go under for the first time in seven games, according to the Odds Shark NHL Database, and they are 5-2 during that stretch, with both losses coming against the Dallas Stars at home in the second round by identical 3-2 scores.

David Backes and Jori Lehtera lit the lamp for St. Louis in Game 1, while goaltender Brian Elliott was stellar between the pipers with 31 saves on 32 shots. Elliott’s counterpart Martin Jones faced 23 shots and stopped 21.

Backes has come up large for the Blues lately with five points (two goals and three assists) in the last four games combined. The 32-year-old center, who also serves as the captain, is tied with two others who each have a team-best 13 points in the playoffs, and he had a team-high 11 hits in Game 1 as well.

The only real concern for the Blues offensively is the recent production of All-Star winger Vladimir Tarasenko, who did not score in Game 1 and has just two points (one goal and one assist) in the past four games. Tarasenko was their leading scorer during the regular season with 73 points (37 goals and 36 assists), and he has added 13 more in the postseason.