Moneyline: Ducks -102 | Blackhawks -118
Spread: Ducks +1.5 (-245) | Blackhawks -1.5 (+194)
Total: 6 | Over +100 | Under -122
All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Anaheim Ducks +10000
Chicago Blackhawks +30000
These two teams have met once this season with Chicago coming away with a 3-0 home victory.
Sitting three points out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, the Anaheim Ducks (27-22-9) embark on a crucial five-game road trip. Anaheim has been plagued by inconsistency, alternating wins and losses in its past four games.
That said, head coach Dallas Eakins has his team playing hard with the Ducks posting a mark of 33-25 against the number this season – good for fourth in the NHL.
The Blackhawks enter tonight as surprising favorites, despite the club having lost two straight and sitting a full 15 points behind Anaheim in the West. Chicago’s most recent loss came to the Tampa Bay Lightning, a game that saw the defending Stanley Cup Champions score five unanswered goals.
Chicago has been average against the spread, compiling a record of 29-28. However, that mark drops at home, where they are just 12-17 ATS.
Both clubs have had trouble keeping the puck out of their net of late. Projected Anaheim starter John Gibson has been rocked for four or more goals in six of his last seven starts, while Blackhawks netminder Marc-Andre Fleury has allowed three or more in his past four.
The lack of consistency on both sides makes me wary of investing in tonight’s puck line or moneyline. However, given Anaheim’s and Chicago’s defensive struggles coming into tonight’s matchup, there’s tremendous value in the over six-goal total at even money, in what should be a sneaky high-scoring game.
The Pick: Over 6 +100
All NHL picks and predictions are courtesy of SportsGrid.