In a rematch of their Western Conference quarterfinal matchup, the Blues and Blackhawks face off in the first American market NHL game of the season. Chicago has opened the year as the betting odds favorite to hoist the Cup at the end of the season but that line seems heavily skewed because of the market they play in.
- The favored team is 1-4 in its last 5 games in this matchup.
- The total has gone UNDER in 8 of the Blackhawks' last 10 games in October.
- The total has gone OVER in 3 of the Blues' last 4 games against the Blackhawks.
The Blues finally shed their label of playoff chokers in last year’s postseason and return in 2016-17 as a legit contender. Parting ways with Brian Elliott has opened the door for Jake Allen to become the uncontested No. 1 goalie for St. Louis but he is still largely unproven as he’s never played more than 47 games in a season. He did, however, post a .920 save percentage last season when splitting starting duties with Elliott, and remember – people had similar doubts about Sharks starter Martin Jones and that worked out just fine.
Chicago is getting a lot of respect coming into this season and for the life of me, I can’t understand why. Beyond their top two lines, the Hawks have zero depth. The Blues will be able to roll all four lines on them tonight so Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook will have to play huge minutes. Tonight could be a microcosm of the entire season for Chicago in that if their top five players don’t perform, or they get hurt, this team is dead.
Corey Crawford will handle the starting duties after posting a pedestrian .907 save percentage against the Blues in last year’s playoffs. The Hawks No. 1 netminder had respectable numbers last year but his goals-against average has been steadily increasing every season since his Cup win in 2013. If that metric is bumped up again this year, the Craw Father could be bumped from the starting crease.
Taking the Blues’ goals in this one seems like a no-brainer -- St. Louis wins by two or more tonight.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
On the Sportsbook NHL betting line for this matchup, Chicago sat as 111 favorites over at Sportsbook. The total was set at 5 at Sportsbook but may move closer to puck drop.
Odds Shark score prediction models pick a 3.8-1.5 result in favor of the Blackhawks today. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NHL matchups here.
St. Louis Blues vs Chicago Blackhawks Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
This season the Chicago Blackhawks are 50-29-10 overall while the St. Louis Blues are 59-32-11. As for the totals, Chicago is 33-33-23 on the OU, and St. Louis is 41-45-16. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Chicago vs St. Louis injuries news.
The Blues - Blackhawks odds would favor the Blues if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Chicago is rated No. 13 in the current Odds Shark poll, while St. Louis is at No. 5.
Statistical Matchup
The game also pits Chicago's No. 8-ranked offense, averaging 2.87 goals per game, against a Blues defense that ranks No. 8 at 2.52 goals allowed. The Blackhawks power play is averaging 23.77% while the Blues defense kills off 84.23% of their penalties.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
In their last action, St. Louis was a 5-2 loser on the road against the Sharks. Bettors on San Jose at -149 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (7) sent OVER bettors home happy as well.
- St. Louis is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
- St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
- St. Louis is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
- St. Louis is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games on the road
- Chicago is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
- Chicago is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
- Chicago is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games at home
Next Betting Matchups
St. Louis home to Minnesota, Thursday, October 13th
Chicago at Nashville, Friday, October 14th
