The United Center will be the site for a Central Division tilt as the St. Louis Blues come into town to face the Chicago Blackhawks. It’s the fourth and last time that these two clubs will meet in the regular season. The opening face-off is at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday, April 6, and it can be caught live on NBC Sports Chicago.
St. Louis Blues vs. Chicago Blackhawks Odds
St. Louis enters the game as the substantial favorite with a moneyline of -155. The line for Chicago sits at +135 and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals (-125 for the over, +105 for the under).
St. Louis is 43-37 straight up (SU) and has lost 3.6 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 80 regular season contests, 46 of its games have gone under the total, while 33 have gone over and just one has pushed. The Blue Notes are 19-20 SU as the road team in 2017-18.
St. Louis has converted on just 15.2 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a mark that places them in the bottom- overall among NHL teams. Its penalty kill is ranked 20th overall, and the team’s successfully killed off 79.6 percent of all penalties.
The Blue Notes, as a collective unit, have been penalized just 3.3 times per game this season, and 1.8 per game over its last five on the road. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 5.4 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 24.6 saves per game with a .906 save percentage, Jake Allen (27-31-3) has been the best option in goal for St. Louis this year. If head coach Mike Yeo chooses to rest him, however, St. Louis may roll with Carter Hutton (17-14-3 record, .930 save percentage, 2.13 goals against average).
Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko will both look to continue their strong seasons for the visiting Blues. Schenn has 67 points via 27 goals and 40 assists, and has recorded multiple points in 14 different games. Tarasenko has 33 goals and 33 assists to his credit (and has logged at least one point in 43 games).
On the other side of the ice, Chicago is 33-47 straight up (SU) and has lost 17.9 units for moneyline bettors thus far. 39 of its contests have gone under the total, while 37 have gone over and just four have pushed. It’s 18-22 SU at home this year.
The Blackhawks have converted on just 16.2 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that’s ranked 28th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 20th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 78.8 percent of all penalties.
Chicago players have been penalized only 3.4 times per game in total this season, and 2.4 per game over their last five at home. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 5.9 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Anton Forsberg (23.9 saves per game) has been the top selection in goal for the Blackhawks. Forsberg has 11 wins, 24 losses, and four overtime losses and has recorded a subpar .908 save percentage and 2.97 goals against average this year.
Patrick Kane (27 goals, 47 assists) will lead the offensive counter for the Hawks.
St. Louis Blues vs. Chicago Blackhawks Betting Predictions
NHL Tip: SU Winner – Blues, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Trends
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 Chicago’s last five games.
St. Louis has managed 30.0 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Chicago has been attempting 37.8 shots per game over its last five at home.
Seven of Chicago’s last ten outings have been decided by two or more goals, and the team is 2-5 overall in those games.
St. Louis skaters have given out the ninth-most hits in the league (23.0 per game).
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