Minnesota Wild vs. Chicago Blackhawks Betting Guide: Underdog Blackhawks Worth Backing on Home Ice

Minnesota Wild vs. Chicago Blackhawks Moneyline, Total and Odds

Moneyline: Wild -166|Blackhawks +138

Spread: Wild -1.5 (+148)|Blackhawks +1.5 (-184)

Total: 6.5 Over -104|Under -118

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Minnesota Wild vs. Chicago Blackhawks News, Analysis, and Picks

Wednesday night is the final night of action before the NHL All-Star break, featuring a Central Division matchup between the Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks. The Wild are at the end of a three-game road trip, winning both previous contests. That’s part of a longer streak in which the Wild have won five straight games. Conversely, the Blackhawks won five games in the entire month of January, a span in which they went 5-7-3. A shift towards a defensive mindset should help the Hawks be more competitive, leading to a low-scoring game.

Chicago has tidied things up in their defensive zone over their recent sample. The Hawks haven’t allowed more than five high-danger chances at five-on-five in any of their past three games, limiting their opponents to 22 or fewer scoring chances over the same span. However, that hasn’t translated to fewer goals against, as the Hawks have allowed at least three in each contest with a total of 11 goals against over that span. Those performances have dropped their save percentage below the normal range, and the Hawks should see progression in that regard.

The Wild have been trending in a similar direction over their recent sample, allowing seven or fewer quality chances and 19 or fewer scoring opportunities in four of their past five. The difference is their goaltending has been efficient, posting above-average save percentages in eight of their past nine. In doing so, the Wild have posted a 1.061 PDO over that span, elevating their season-long metric to the third-highest in the league.

Minnesota has put forth some strong defensive performances recently. Still, they could be headed towards a correction phase as they’ve overachieved relative to their metrics. Along with the solid defensive play we’ve seen from both clubs, it should lead to a low-scoring game. We’re backing the underdog home team and the under in Chicago tonight.

The Picks: Blackhawks +138, Under 6.5 -118

All NHL predictions and picks are courtesy of SportsGrid.