In their first of three head-to-head meetings this season, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Calgary Flames collide at the Scotiabank Saddledome for a Western Conference showdown. This one gets started at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 31 and it’s being televised live on Sportsnet 360.
Chicago Blackhawks at Calgary Flames Odds
With a moneyline of -135, Calgary enters the contest as the favorite. The line for Chicago sits at +115, and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals (-120 under, +100 over).
The Flames are 18-20 straight up (SU) and have lost 5.0 units for moneyline bettors this year. That early-season winning percentage is a regression from the 45-37 record that the team posted during the 2016-17 season campaign. Among its 38 games this season, 16 have gone under the total, while 16 have gone over and just one has pushed. The team’s 9-11 SU at home this year.
Calgary’s converted on 17.4 percent of its power play chances this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 26th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 77.6 percent of all penalties.
Calgary, as a collective unit, has been called for penalties 4.0 times per game overall this season, and 4.8 per game over its past five matchups. The team’s had to defend opponent power plays for 10.6 minutes per contest over its last five home games.
Averaging 28.5 saves per game with a .920 save percentage, Mike Smith (15-17-3) has been the top goalkeeper for the Flames this season. If head coach Glen Gulutzan chooses to rest him, however, the Flames could roll with David Rittich (3-2-2 record, .924 save percentage, 2.04 goals against average).
Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan will each be offensive focal points for the Flames. Gaudreau (41 points) has tallied 13 goals and 28 assists and has recorded multiple points on 12 separate occasions this year. Monahan has 17 goals and 15 assists to his credit and has notched a point in 21 contests.
On the other bench, Chicago is 18-19 straight up (SU) and has lost 3.5 units for bettors taking the moneyline thus far. A total of 20 of its games have gone under the total, while 15 have gone over and just two have pushed. Chicago’s 8-12 SU as the visiting team this season.
Chicago has converted on just 15.3 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s ranked 28th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 14th overall and it’s successfully killed off 81.5 percent of all opponent power plays.
Chicago’s skaters have been penalized 3.8 times per game this season, and 3.1 per game over their past ten contests. The team has been forced to stave off opponent power plays just 7.8 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Corey Crawford (27.9 saves per game) has been the primary option in goal for Chicago. Crawford has 16 wins, 12 losses, and two overtime losses to his credit, while registering a .929 save percentage and 2.27 goals against average this year.
Leading the offensive attack for the visiting Blackhawks will be Patrick Kane, who has 16 goals and 22 assists this season.
Chicago Blackhawks at Calgary Flames Free Picks
Predictions: SU Winner – Blackhawks, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes
The under has hit in four of Calgary’s last five games.
This game features two clubs that take a lot of shots on goal. Chicago has attempted the league’s third-most shots on goal (34.7) while Calgary has attempted the 10th-most (32.7).
The Blackhawks are 14-10 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 13-10 when they serve fewer than 10 penalty minutes, in total.
Two of Calgary’s last ten games have ended in a shootout. The team is 0-2 in those games and 2-3 overall in shootouts this season.
Calgary is ranked 9th in the league with 8.5 takeaways per game. That figure has trended lower, however, as the team has forced 6.8 takeaways over its last 10 games and 7.8 takeaways over its last five.
Chicago is ranked 12th overall this season with 7.8 takeaways per game. That figure has trended higher lately, as the team has managed 8.5 takeaways over its last 10 games and 8.6 takeaways over its last five.
