Old-time rivals Detroit and Chicago face off Wednesday for the fourth time this season and for the second game in a row. The Blackhawks have won the three previous meetings by a combined score of 13-5, including a 3-2 overtime victory on Monday. The Hawks are favored in this one as well.
- Date/Time: February 17, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Arena: Little Sportsbook Arena
- TV Coverage: NBCS
- Sportsbook Odds: Blackhawks -130 | O/U 5.5 (Line History)
- Blackhawks vs Red Wings Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The game opened with the Blackhawks as favorites at -130 and the line can now be found between -125 and -135. The total opened at 5.5 and is locked in at that number with the OVER favored in the -110 to -115 range.
Chicago News & Notes
The days of the dominant Blackhawks teams are long gone, but Chicago fans must be pleasantly surprised by the play of the team that finds itself one point out of the division lead through 17 games.
The emergence of rookie goaltender Kevin Lankinen has been a major catalyst for the success of the team. Despite a couple of rough outings recently, Lankinen has a 6-1-3 record this year with a .925 save percentage, sixth in the league among goalies who have played at least seven games.
Offensively, the team is led primarily by the combination of Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. Kane leads the team with 21 points in 17 games while DeBrincat has 16 points in 13 games. Chicago also ranks in the top 10 in overall scoring chances and high-danger scoring chances at even strength but is only 17th in goals scored. So, there is some meat on the bone there for the Hawks offensively.
Detroit News & Notes
The story is basically the opposite for Detroit’s offense. The only teams that have fewer even-strength goals than the Red Wings have played at least two fewer games and most have played at least four fewer. And on the flip side, only five teams have allowed more goals at even strength.
Through 17 games, not a single player on the Red Wings has reached 10 points and only six players have more than five points. Anthony Mantha leads the team with five goals and nine points. To put those totals in perspective, there are 111 players in the league with more than nine points, including five on the Blackhawks.
In net, it has been a rough season for starter Thomas Greiss. The veteran has a 1-9-3 record with a .899 save percentage. He likely gets the start in this one.
Betting Pick: Blackhawks -130
The Blackhawks are the better team. But who gets the nod in net is a pretty big deal in this matchup. If it is Lankinen, we like the Hawks. If backup Malcolm Subban gets the start, that might be a cause for a pause and a look at the OVER.
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Buy Sports Picks Now- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago’s last 5 games.
- Chicago is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games against Detroit.
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit’s last 6 games.
