Vegas Golden Knights vs St. Louis Blues Picks, Prediction, Odds, and Line Movement for Thursday October 22 2026

The Golden Knights travel to Enterprise Center at 8-3, while St. Louis is 4-4-1 and undefeated in regulation through its first three home games. The Blues opened this homestand with a disciplined 2-1 win over Winnipeg on Tuesday, showing they can get a result without turning the night into a scoring race. Vegas is coming off a 6-2 loss to Tampa Bay after a strong opening stretch, so it has a clear response game of its own. These recent results pull in opposite directions: St. Louis is encouraged by a defensive win, while Vegas wants to reestablish the pace and puck control that helped it win eight of eleven.

St. Louis has taken five of six available standings points at home, and Tuesday's victory over Winnipeg was a good example of the patient approach coach Jim Montgomery wants. Philip Broberg has scored in consecutive games and has been increasingly involved in the power play. His skating can help the Blues bypass Vegas' first forechecker, while Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich provide the ability to create chances from a controlled possession. The concern is defense depth. The Blues have injuries along the blue line, and a strong forecheck can force less experienced combinations into decisions under pressure.

Vegas has the high-end skill of Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner, plus scoring support through Tomas Hertl and its other lines. The Golden Knights have converted around one-quarter of their early power plays and tend to be dangerous when their forwards force opponents into penalties on extended shifts. A 6-2 loss to Tampa Bay does not erase their strong road performance, including three wins in four trips away from home. The more relevant question is whether Vegas can keep its defense organized when St. Louis counters. The Blues will have opportunities if Vegas turns pucks over at the opposing blue line.

The morning goalie snapshot pointed toward Carter Hart for Vegas and Joel Hofer for St. Louis, but later projections have also mentioned Adin Hill for the visitors. Neither club had officially confirmed its starter at that stage, which limits confidence in any goalie-specific edge. Vegas has been without Victor Olofsson and is managing absences on defense, while St. Louis has its own injuries to Tyler Tucker, Logan Mailloux and other depth players. The Blues need their healthiest defenders to deal with Eichel's speed. Vegas needs to avoid the defensive miscues that gave Tampa Bay repeated chances in its most recent game.

St. Louis would prefer controlled shifts and patient exits, similar to the Winnipeg game. That script keeps the crowd involved, protects the goalies and allows Broberg to join offense selectively. Vegas is more dangerous when play moves quickly from a recovered puck to the attacking blue line, stretching the defense with Eichel and Marner before coverage can settle. The Golden Knights can also produce from multiple lines, a notable advantage if St. Louis has to shorten its defensive rotation. There should be enough scoring ability on each bench that a single power-play goal could decide a closely contested third period.

The reference board placed Vegas at -125 with St. Louis +113, and an attributed identified sportsbook quote also listed the visitor at -125. The Blues were available near +107 in a separate named-book comparison. Because these are different source times and books, they should not be misrepresented as a confirmed move from +113 to +107. The important betting consideration is that Vegas' favorite price remains within the permitted range. Asking for a straight win is more realistic than a margin pick against a St. Louis club that has been competitive on home ice.

The Golden Knights have superior overall depth and a more reliable path to creating dangerous possessions when their top forwards are available. St. Louis' most recent result came from limiting Winnipeg, not outscoring an opponent in a track meet. Vegas can handle that pace if it protects the neutral zone and waits for its best offensive mismatches. The visitors do not need to dominate every shift; they need to make the Blues' depleted defensive group defend difficult sequences at speed. The potential for a close finish keeps the straight moneyline attractive relative to a favorite puck line.

Best Bet: Vegas Golden Knights moneyline (-125). Vegas is the measured preference because its offensive depth and overall start outweigh the Blues' excellent early home results, provided the price stays reasonable. St. Louis' defensive discipline and the uncertain goalie matchup make this a one-goal handicap, not an expected rout. Prediction: Vegas Golden Knights 4, St. Louis Blues 3. The forecast is consistent with a full-game moneyline selection and requires a final starter and market check.