Facing each other for the final time this season, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings collide at Little Caesars Arena for an Original Six showdown. NBC Sports Network will broadcast the game, and the action gets going at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 25.
Chicago Blackhawks at Detroit Red Wings Odds
Detroit enters the contest as the favorite with a moneyline of -125. The line for Chicago sits at +105 and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 6 goals (-115 for the over, -105 for the under).
Chicago is 22-26 straight up (SU) and has lost 7.5 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 48 regular season contests, 25 of its games have gone under the total, while 20 have gone over and just two have pushed. This 2017-18 Blackhawks team is 10-13 SU on the road.
Chicago has converted on just 15.7 percent of its power play chances this year, a mark that places them in the bottom-10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 15th overall, and the team’s successfully killed off 81.8 percent of its penalties.
For the team as a whole, Chicago has been penalized 3.7 times per game during the 2017-18 season, 3.8 per game over its past five outings total, and 3.8 per game over its last five on the road. The team’s had to defend opponent power plays 8.8 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Boasting a .929 save percentage and 27.9 saves per game, Corey Crawford (16-12-2) has been the top option in goal for Chicago this year. If head coach Joel Quenneville decides to rest him, however, the team may go with Anton Forsberg (4-12-3), who has a .907 save percentage and 3.15 goals against average this year.
Patrick Kane and Nick Schmaltz will both be relied on to facilitate things for the visiting Blackhawks. Kane (49 points) has tallied 20 goals and 29 assists, and has recorded multiple points 13 times. Schmaltz has 13 goals and 22 assists to his credit, and has logged at least one point in 19 games.
Detroit is 19-28 straight up (SU) and has lost 7.8 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 47 regular season outings, 26 of its games have gone under the total, while 21 have gone over and none have pushed. It’s 10-16 SU at home this season.
Detroit has converted on 18.6 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s right around league average. Its penalty kill is also ranked 22nd overall, and it’s successfully killed off 79.3 percent of all opponent power plays.
Detroit players have been called for penalties 3.8 times per game in total this season, and 2.8 per game over their last five at home. The team’s had to stave off opponent power plays just 7.3 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Jimmy Howard (26.7 saves per game) has been the top selection in goal for Detroit. Howard has 14 wins, 23 losses, and six overtime losses to his name and has registered a mediocre 2.74 goals against average and a .913 save percentage this year.
Dylan Larkin (eight goals, 30 assists) will pace the attack for the Red Wings.
Chicago Blackhawks at Detroit Red Wings Betting Predictions
Predictions: SU Winner – Red Wings, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes
The under has hit in four of Detroit’s last five outings.
The Blackhawks are 7-4 in games where the team outshoots its opponent by 10 or more. They’ve averaged the league’s most shots on goal (34.6) and Detroit has attempted the 30th-most (just 29.7).
The Red Wings are 6-11 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 12-19 when they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 total minutes.
Detroit skaters have forced 6.6 takeaways per game over its last five home games, right in line with its season average of 6.4 takeaways per game (ranked 22nd).
Chicago has averaged 2.9 goals per game overall this season, but has been averaging 1.3 goals per match up over its last four games (0-4 SU over that span).
Chicago skaters have created 7.5 takeaways per game (ranked 14th in the league).
