Jets vs Blues Game 6 Prediction, Analysis, and Best Bet for May 2

The Winnipeg Jets will try to finish off the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series tonight in St. Louis.

Winnipeg leads the series 3-2 after a gutsy 5-3 win in Game 5 without top-line center Mark Scheifele, and they’ll now look to send the Blues packing on their home ice as they advance to the second round. Can the Jets pull it off and end this series early?

Game Details and Betting Odds

Game 6 is set for tonight at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, with puck drop scheduled for 7:10 PM CST.

The Jets took control of the series with their win on Wednesday, bouncing back from two lopsided losses and proving they can remain resilient and respond under pressure.

Oddsmakers have this one tight, of course, but the Blues are slight favorites on their home ice. Winnipeg, however, has already won in St. Louis once this series and should be fairly confident after their latest performance. The total is set at 5.5 goals, with shading toward the under — a nod to playoff intensity, though the last 4 games have all gone over that number. The over/under is a tough one, but the stats and trends might show something else.

Series Recap and Stat Breakdown

This series has been an absolute rollercoaster. Winnipeg took Games 1 and 2 by a combined score of 7-4 but then got blasted in Games 3 and 4 — giving up 12 goals in 2 losses. Not a good look, but Game 5 was a true test, and the Jets passed it. Despite missing Scheifele, they leaned on Kyle Connor, who had 1 goal and 2 helpers to lead the charge. Connor, who had 97 points this season, with 41 goals and 56 assists, has been a problem for St. Louis all year and it’s continuing into the postseason.

The Jets also got key contributions from Vladislav Namestnikov and Dylan DeMelo — both of whom scored in Game 5. DeMelo’s goal turned the tide in the 2nd period, while Namestnikov added a little insurance later. Adam Lowry sealed it with an empty-netter. Overall, the Jets outshot the Blues 26-19 and out-hit them 44-40. It was a complete effort and that’s what wins games.

St. Louis, to their credit, still has the weapons to claw their way back. Robert Thomas leads the team with 81 points on the season, and Jordan Kyrou is always a threat in the slot, especially on the power play unit. But the offense hasn’t been consistent enough, and they’ve struggled to contain Winnipeg’s top line at even strength. Kyrou’s 36 goals and 7 power-play goals show his upside, but he hasn’t taken over games in this series like many expected him to.

Looking at the postseason numbers, St. Louis holds the edge in goals per game with 3.80 which is tied for 4th among playoff teams. Winnipeg, though, ranks just 10th with 3.00 per game, however, they’re finding the back of the net when it counts the most. Defensively, the Jets are near the bottom, allowing 3.80 goals per game — worse than all but 2 other teams and that’s a big problem, especially if they fall into penalty trouble or can’t get timely saves.

Goaltending is another question mark for Winnipeg despite having Connor Hellebuyck in between the pipes. Their team SV% in the postseason is just .827 which puts them as the absolute worst in the playoffs and that’s just not normal for the sure-shot Vicenza Trophy winner. The Blues, meanwhile, are at .893, which isn’t great but far more reliable. The Jets’ netminders will need to be sharp in a hostile environment.

That said, Winnipeg has a better shooting percentage, more depth scoring, and the edge in special teams hustle plays. Their PK unit is mediocre, but it did enough in Game 5 to get the job done. Their stars — particularly Connor — are playing with urgency and explosive energy. And even with Scheifele not traveling to St. Louis, the offense has what it takes to get the job done.

Prediction and Best Bet

It’s easy to lean on the home team in an elimination game but we’re not feeling it. The Jets proved something in Game 5 and the momentum is to their back. They were short-handed, got punched early, and still found a way to win and they’ll figure it out tonight without Scheifele. That’s the kind of performance that shifts momentum — and confidence.

St. Louis has home ice, a bit of a goalie edge, and undeniably playoff desperation. But they haven’t been able to keep Winnipeg’s forwards off the scoresheet. Their own offense simply hasn’t matched the same intensity shift to shift. If the Jets keep playing smart, get traffic in front in the low slot, and avoid defensive lapses, they can absolutely close this out tonight without having to deal with the Blues in a Game 7.

• HelloRookie’s Prediction: Winnipeg 4, St. Louis 2
• Best Bet: Winnipeg Jets moneyline at -102

They’ve already won in St. Louis, and their stars are rolling. The Jets are a team that is built to handle adversity, and they showed that when it mattered most. It might be a close game so we’re staying away from the over/under bets and the puck lines, but we’ll take the Jets on the moneyline at near-even odds.