A couple of the least-penalized teams in the National Hockey League, the Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues take the ice at the Scottrade Center for a divisional matchup. The action gets going at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 4, and it’s being televised live on NBC Sports Network.
Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues Odds
Chicago (+205) is currently the underdog to St. Louis (-245) and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals (-110 for the over, -110 for the under).
Losing 1.1 units for moneyline bettors, St. Louis is 43-36 straight up (SU) overall this year. That early-season winning percentage is right in line with what the team produced during last year’s regular season (46-36). Out of its 79 regular season contests, 46 of them have gone under the total, while 32 have gone over and just one has pushed. This season, the team is 24-16 SU at home.
The Blues have converted on just 15.4 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that places them in the bottom- overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 18th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 79.9 percent of all penalties.
The Blues, as a collective unit, have been penalized just 3.3 times per game overall this season, and 2.2 per game over their past ten contests. The team’s had to stave off opposition power plays for just 5.2 minutes per game over their last 10 outings, overall.
Boasting a .907 save percentage and 24.7 saves per game, Jake Allen (27-30-3) has been the primary option in goal for St. Louis this year. If St. Louis decides to give him the evening off, however, it might turn to Carter Hutton (17-14-14 record, .930 save percentage, 2.13 goals against average).
The Blue Notes will continue to look for leadership from Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko. Schenn (65 points) has produced 26 goals and 39 assists and has recorded multiple points 14 times this year. Tarasenko has 32 goals and 32 assists to his credit and has recorded a point in 42 contests.
Over on the other bench, Chicago is 32-47 straight up (SU) and has lost 20.1 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year. A total of 39 of its games have gone under the total, while 36 have gone over and just four have pushed. As the visiting team, the Blackhawks are 14-25 SU.
The Blackhawks have converted on just 15.9 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a figure that’s ranked 28th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 22nd overall and it’s successfully killed off 78.6 percent of all penalties.
Chicago’s players have been penalized 3.4 times per game this season, and 4.0 per game over their last five on the road. The team has been forced to stave off opponent power plays just 5.7 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Anton Forsberg (23.9 saves per game) has been the primary option in goal for Chicago. Forsberg has 11 wins, 24 losses, and four OT losses to his credit, and has registered a .908 save percentage and 2.97 goals against average this year.
Patrick Kane (27 goals, 47 assists) has been one of the top playmaking threats for the visiting Blackhawks.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues Free Picks
Free Pick: SU Winner – Blues, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes
St. Louis is 3-0 in games decided by a shootout this season while Chicago is 1-2 in shootouts.
The over has hit in three of St. Louis’ last five games.
St. Louis has averaged 2.7 goals per game overall this season, but has been averaging 1.7 goals per matchup on its three-game losing streak.
Eight of Chicago’s last ten games have been decided by two goals or more. The team is 3-5 in those games.
The Blue Notes this season have recorded the 10th-most hits per game (23.0).
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