Our Blues vs Red Wings prediction centers on a Saturday matinee at Little Caesars Arena, where St. Louis opens a four-game road trip. The Blues are a short road favorite at -120, with Detroit at even money and the total set at 6.0. The price is close, but the goaltending numbers are not. Below, we work through the crease, the special teams gap and the line movement before landing on two plays.
Last Updated: October 31, 2026
St. Louis Blues vs. Detroit Red Wings — Game Info
| Where | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit Michigan |
| When | October 31 – 1:00 PM ET |
| TV | Detroit SportsNet, Blue Note+ |
St. Louis Blues vs. Detroit Red Wings Betting Preview
Start in the crease, because that is where the gap sits. Detroit coach Todd McLellan said Friday that John Gibson will start against St. Louis. Gibson is 4-4-1 with a 3.15 goals-against average and an .874 save percentage across nine starts. Daniil Tarasov has been sharper in a smaller role at .940, but he is the backup on Saturday.
The Blues have not confirmed their starter. Joel Hofer is the projected choice, with Jordan Binnington the alternative. Hofer is 5-3-1 with a 2.24 GAA, a .923 save percentage and a shutout. He made 31 saves in Thursday’s 4-1 home win over Boston. Binnington has struggled, going 1-3-0 with an .846 mark. Any read on this game is provisional until St. Louis names its goalie.
Detroit enters 6-4-3 with 15 points, still last in the Atlantic Division. The Red Wings are 5-2-3 over their last 10, with 28 goals scored and 28 allowed. Viktor Arvidsson scored a hat trick in Thursday’s 4-1 home win over Chicago. He leads the team with eight goals, and Alex DeBrincat leads in points with 15. DeBrincat, Arvidsson and Lucas Raymond have combined for 41 points, so Detroit’s offense runs heavily through that trio. Dylan Larkin is not in the lineup, while Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton are out with upper-body injuries.
St. Louis is 6-6-1 with 13 points, fifth in the Central Division. The Blues were shut out in back-to-back games before Thursday’s win over the Bruins. Dylan Holloway leads St. Louis with 11 points. He has also produced against this opponent, with a career hat trick at Little Caesars Arena in December 2024. Both teams had Friday off, so neither side is on a back-to-back. Detroit owns recent history, though. The Red Wings swept last season’s series, outscoring St. Louis 11-6 across the two games.
The total of 6.0 has not moved from the open, with the Under carrying the heavier juice. The Over case rests on Gibson’s form and a special teams mismatch. In contrast, the Under case is Detroit’s low-event style, since the Red Wings rank 26th in scoring at 2.69 goals per game. Their 9.02% shooting rate suggests some of that is bad luck, but it has not turned yet. The Blues’ 13 games this season split six over, six under and one landing on exactly six. Detroit’s habit of reaching overtime also matters, because a game tied after 60 minutes adds at least one more goal for totals purposes.
St. Louis Blues vs. Detroit Red Wings Odds
| Puck Line | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blues | -1.5 (+215) | -120 | O 6.0 (-103) |
| Red Wings | +1.5 (-260) | +100 | U 6.0 (-117) |
Odds accurate as of October 31, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NHL Odds – Futures – Props
St. Louis Blues vs. Detroit Red Wings — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Blues | 50% | 50% | Red Wings |
See the latest NHL Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Blues vs. Red Wings Prediction — Can Detroit Survive a 30th-Ranked Penalty Kill?
The goaltending edge is the core of this read. Hofer has stopped .923 of the shots he has faced, while Gibson sits at .874. On 28 shots, that gap works out to more than a goal. Recent form matters more than the logo here, and Hofer’s form is clearly better. However, that edge disappears if Binnington gets the start, so this play depends on Hofer.
Special teams widen the gap. Detroit has killed only 66.67% of penalties, which ranks 30th, and has been shorthanded 42 times in 13 games. Meanwhile, the Blues own the seventh-best power play at 25.71%. On the other side, the Blues’ penalty kill sits at 85.29%, which blunts Detroit’s 21.74% power play. The market has also moved our way. St. Louis opened at -115 and is now -120, while Detroit drifted from -105 to even money. With spread tickets split 50/50, that move is not public money piling onto the favorite. It is a modest confirmation rather than a sharp signal.
The case for Detroit is real. The Red Wings average 29.8 shots and allow just 25.2, so they control play more than the Blues do. St. Louis is 2-4 on the road this season and is outshot on average. Detroit also lives in close games, with five of its 13 games going past regulation. A -120 price needs a 54.5% win rate to break even. We make the Blues a bit better than that with Hofer in net. The full-game moneyline also covers overtime and the shootout if this one stays tight.
The Pick: Blues Moneyline (-120)
Blues vs. Red Wings Prediction — Will Detroit’s Shot Suppression Hold Up?
Mason McTavish has been the Blues’ volume shooter. He leads the team with 41 shots on goal through 13 games, about 3.2 per night, and has scored six times. That is a process number rather than a hot streak. Shot volume repeats far more reliably than goals do. Even after trimming his rate for Detroit’s stingy defense, a three-shot game projects as more likely than not. The +130 price only requires about 43.5%.
The risk is matchup and deployment. Detroit allows just 25.2 shots per game, and McTavish is projected to center the second line with Pavel Buchnevich and Jonatan Berggren. A light night on the power play would also cap his chances. Still, the Red Wings take a lot of penalties, so extra special-teams time favors the over on his shots. This prop does not rely on the goaltending read at all.
The Pick: Mason McTavish 3+ Shots on Goal (+130)
Our Final Word on Blues vs. Red Wings
Detroit has shown it can win this matchup, and its shot share is better than its record. Still, backing Detroit at even money means trusting Gibson against a power play that should get chances. For more on the Red Wings’ recent form, see our Blackhawks vs. Red Wings prediction, and our earlier Blues vs. Senators prediction for a look at St. Louis on the road. Detroit’s 66.67% penalty kill is the number to watch in the first period.
We like the Blues moneyline at -120 because Hofer’s .923 save percentage gives St. Louis the clear edge in net, pending his confirmation. We also like Mason McTavish 3+ shots on goal at +130 because his team-leading shot volume clears that bar more often than the price implies.