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On Wednesday, the Chicago Blackhawks will head to the Rocky Mountains to take on the Colorado Avalanche, the defending Stanley Cup Champions. It's time to check out our NHL odds series and make a Blackhawks-Avalanche prediction and pick.
The Avalanche went 4-0 against the Blackhawks and will now begin defense of Lord Stanley's Cup against the second city team.
The Hawks went 28-42-12 last season, ultimately struggling everywhere. They were 6-10 in the overtime and 6-2 in the shootout. Also, their offense averaged 2.60 goals per game, which was 29th in the league. Their defense allowed 3.52 goals per game, which was 26th in the league. Additionally, special teams were not that great, as they converted 19.2 percent of their power-play chances, good for 21st in the league. Their penalty kill was terrible, killing off 76.2 percent of penalties, which ranked them 24th in the league.
The Avalanche went 56-19-7 en route to a Stanley Cup. They swept the Nashville Predators in the first round. Then, they took down the St. Louis Blues in six games before sweeping the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals. The Avs won the Stanley Cup by defeating the back-to-back champion Tampa Bay Lightning in six games, including a cup-clincher at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
The Avs were excellent all around. Colorado averaged 3.76 goals per game, which put them fourth in the league. Additionally, their defense allowed 2.83 goals per game, which ranked them ninth in the league. Their power play successfully converted 24 percent of its opportunities to be the seventh-best in the league. Alternatively, their penalty kill was up-and-down, killing off 79.7 percent of penalties, good to place them 15th in the league.
Here are the Blackhawks-Avalanche NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Blackhawks-Avalanche Odds
Chicago Blackhawks: +2.5 (-140)
Colorado Avalanche: -2.5 (+112)
Over: 6.5 (-124)
Under: 6.5 (+100)
Why The Blackhawks Could Cover The Spread
The Blackhawks are a rebuilding team that still refuses to admit they are rebuilding. However, the signs are pointing to it and their glory days are long behind them.
Patrick Kane still lives here. Yes, he is as impressive as ever. Kane scored 26 goals and 66 assists last season. Jonathan Toews is also around but far less successful. Unfortunately, he managed 12 goals and 25 assists while also sporting a plus-minus of -14. The Hawks traded Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators, so they brought in Max Domi and Tyler Johnson to supplement the offense lost. Ultimately, their next best player after Kane is defenseman Seth Jones. He scored five goals and 46 assists last season.
The Hawks also brought in Petr Mrazek to be their new goalie. He has a career 2.64 goals-against average with a .909 save percentage. Last season, he went 18-12-6 with a 3.34 goals-against average and an .888 save percentage with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Mrazek must improve upon those numbers but will find it difficult on a less talented team.
The Hawks have to improve their special teams to give themselves a chance. Stunningly, they did not get a single goal from a defenseman on the power play last year.
The Blackhawks will cover the spread if Kane and Domi can find the back of the net and dominate. Likewise, they need to take advantage of any special teams opportunities they get, and Mrazek and the defense must defend well.
Why The Avalanche Could Cover The Spread
The champs are here. Moreover, they are ready to defend their title. Nathan MacKinnon scored 32 goals and 56 assists in 65 games. Also, Mikko Rantanen scored 36 goals and 56 assists. Cale Makar won the Norris Trophy last year after scoring 28 goals and 58 assists. Thus, these three are a threat at all times. Gabriel Landeskog hopes to play more, as he scored 30 goals and 29 assists through 51 games last season.
Nazem Kadri and Andri Burakovsky are gone, which means Valeri Nichushkin must take over. However, he did not do too bad last year, scoring 25 goals and 27 assists in 62 games. Devon Toews is back to help Makar line an excellent defense. Likewise, he hopes to build on his plus-52 statline from last year.
The Avs have a new goalie after signing Alexander Georgiev from the New York Rangers. Georgiev went 15-10-2 with a 2.92 goals-against average, and an .898 save percentage while backing up Igor Shesterkin for the Rangers. Now, he gets an opportunity to start and showcase what he can do.
The Avalanche will cover the spread if they can sustain their success and play their game efficiently. Additionally, Makar and Toews must defend the net in front of Georgiev and avoid penalties.
Final Blackhawks-Avalanche Prediction & Pick
These teams played four times, with the Avs winning all four games. However, the scores were 4-2, 4-3, 2-0, and 6-4, with two games going over the 6.5-point spread. The biggest takeaway is that the Avs did not win a single game by more than two goals, which is the spread they are favored to win by. Ultimately, it's too risky to take the Avs to win by three goals and a 50/50 coin toss on taking the over to cover. The best bet here is to take the Hawks to cover the spread. It feels like a 4-2 Avalanche victory to me.
Final Blackhawks-Avalanche Prediction & Pick: Chicago Blackhawks: +2.5 (-140)
