Blackhawks vs. Red Wings Odds
| Blackhawks Odds | +164 |
| Red Wings Odds | -200 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 +100/ -200 |
The Chicago Blackhawks head to the Motor City to take on the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.
Chicago made headlines with the termination of Corey Perry, but they are also coming off a strong win against the Seattle Kraken. However, the Hawks have lost six of their last eight games.
Detroit, meanwhile, made the news instantly after the signing of Patrick Kane, but the Red Wings fell to the Rangers last night.
Before the loss, the Wings had won three in a row, but the team is clearly inconsistent. They’ve won and lost in bunches, so it’ll be interesting to see if they break the trend.
Here’s a look at the NHL odds and my Blackhawks vs. Red Wings prediction and betting pick.
Chicago Blackhawks
Rookie sensation Connor Bedard has been as advertised. Leading the team with 17 points in 20 games, including 10 goals, Bedard is already a lethal threat in the NHL.
Behind him, there isn’t much to write home about. The Blackhawks just lost Taylor Hall and Corey Perry, and Jason Dickinson and Philipp Kurashev are the second- and third-highest scorers on the team.
With the lack of firepower behind Bedard, it should be no surprise why the Blackhawks are second-to-last in expected goals with a 41.38 xGF%.
Defensively, they’re just as bad, playing to a league-worst 3.29 xGA/60.
Chicago’s power play has been dreadful all season. It has scored at a horrid 9.2% clip, which is second to last in the league. The penalty kill is OK, though, succeeding 78% of the time.
The Blackhawks have split starts between both Arvid Soderblom and Petr Mrazek, so it’ll be hard to tell who takes the crease tonight.
Mrazek started last game, so will we see Soderblom? The Swedish netminder has been suitable this season with a .882 SV% and a +1.5 goals saved above expected (GSAx).
Detroit Red Wings
I don’t see Kane playing tonight, but the Red Wings are pretty stacked.
Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat have been having stellar seasons so far, posting a point per game. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere is a point machine as well, and J.T. Compher has been a pleasant surprise while on pace for a career-high season.
At 5-on-5 play, the Red Wings are among the lower tier. They play at a mediocre 48.4 xGF%, and defensively they play to a 2.65 xGA/60.
Special teams hasn’t been bad for Detroit. The power play is pretty efficient, scoring at a 22% clip, and the penalty kill does fine at a 79.5% rate.
Last night we saw Ville Husso against the Rangers, and the Wings have been rolling out Alex Lyon.
James Reimer is also healthy, but Lyon has been relied upon a lot lately. In three starts, he’s posting a dynamic .952 SV% and a +2.3 GSAx.
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Blackhawks vs. Red Wings
Betting Pick & Prediction
As mediocre as the Wings are, I still think they pull away with this game rather easily. They’ve managed to keep it close with the Rangers, and most of their losses have been close battles.
Chicago, with all the drama that surrounds the team, is a perfect candidate to get clobbered on the road. Similar to last year, the Blackhawks are miserable and lost by two or more goals against both St. Louis and Columbus who are both average-to-bad teams this year. The Blackhawks losing by more than one will be all too similar to how their season has been.
I have a ton more faith in Detroit to pull away than I do in Chicago making this close. Especially with the Blackhawks coming off of a win, as they’ve yet to string together two consecutive wins this season.
The Red Wings puckline is a solid play, and at +112, can see that giving you the best bang for your buck.
Pick: Detroit Red Wings -1.5 (+120 at DraftKings)
