The Chicago Blackhawks and Utah Hockey Club will match up in a historic game for one franchise. Utah will be the home of the Hockey Club, making it the third location in the franchise's history. The team started in Winnipeg, then moved to Arizona where it stayed until the end of last season. The Coyotes played the past two seasons in Arizona State's college arena, which wasn't sustainable. The league knew they needed a change and moved the team to Utah, under Ryan Smith's ownership. Smith also owns the Utah Jazz. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Blackhawks-Utah Hockey Club prediction and pick.
Here are the NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Blackhawks-Utah Hockey Club Odds
Chicago Blackhawks: +1.5 (-184)
Moneyline: +136
Utah Hockey Club: -1.5 (+152)
Moneyline: -164
Over: 6.5 (+108)
Under: 6.5 (-132)
How To Watch Blackhawks vs. Utah Hockey Club
Time: 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Blackhawks Could Cover the Spread/Win
Both of these teams improved in the offseason, and the Blackhawks are very excited about their future. One of the most notable adds for them could be a player who was already on their roster last season but missed most of the season with an injury. Taylor Hall was supposed to be a massive contributor for them last season but battled various issues until finally getting shut down for the season. The Blackhawks also gave Connor Bedard some serviceable linemates in Teuvo Teravainen and Ilya Mikheyev. Another new addition Tyler Bertuzzi joining Hall on the second line gives the Blackhawks more depth than their fans have seen in awhile.
Why the Utah Hockey Club Could Cover the Spread/Win
The excitement will be high in the Delta Center with the NHL's newest franchise taking to the ice. The league gave them a favorable matchup with the second-worst team last season, but there is some improvement from the Blackhawks. However, Utah is only getting better, and feel like they've improved the personnel enough this offseason to give the new fans a competitive product.
Utah added Mikhail Sergachev, Ian Cole, and John Marino this offseason. Marino will likely miss this game with an injury, but the depth of this team is noticeably better. They'll also have Logan Cooley looking for a breakout sophomore campaign as he started to turn it up last season. Cooley struggled in the first half but was nearly a point per game down the stretch. They also have Arizona's fan favorite Josh Doan looking to build on a successful 11-game debut last season.
Utah will also have Connor Ingram in net after his breakout 2023-24 season. He appeared in a career-high 47 games with a 22-21-3 record, a 2.93 goals-against average, and a .906 save percentage.
Final Blackhawks-Utah Hockey Club Prediction & Pick
Utah is a sleeper to be the most improved team in the 2024-25 season. Their young core has another year of experience under their belts, and the defensive depth they added will only make them better. Sergachev was an underrated add if he can have a rebound season and bring his championship-winning pedigree to the NHL's newest team. The Blackhawks are another team that could take a good leap this season, but the first game in Utah with an improved lineup is too much to ignore.
Take the Utah Hockey Club to win their inaugural game and get the fan support behind them early in their tenure.
Final Blackhawks-Utah Hockey Club Prediction & Pick: Utah Hockey Club ML ( -164)