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The Winnipeg Jets will battle the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. It's a Central Division showdown as we share our NHL odds series and make a Jets-Blackhawks prediction and pick.
The Jets are 28-20 against the Blackhawks over their past 48 games, including six overtime wins. Recently, the Jets defeated the Hawks 2-1 on October 12, 2024, at the MTS Centre. The Jets have won three in a row against the Blackhawks. Furthermore, they are 4-0-1 in the last five games at the United Center.
Here are the Jets-Blackhawks NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Jets-Blackhawks Odds
Winnipeg Jets: -1.5 (+132)
Moneyline: -196
Chicago Blackhawks: +1.5 (-162)
Moneyline: +162
Over: 5.5 (-120)
Under: 5.5 (-102)
How To Watch Jets vs Blackhawks
Time: 4 PM ET/1 PM PT
TV: ESPN + and CHSN
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Jets Could Cover the Spread/Win
Things have been good in Winnipeg after a hot start. However, the Jets might add a defenseman to increase their chances of making a deep playoff run. Defense is the only weakness on a team loaded with superior talent, especially on offense.
Kyle Connor leads the offense in scoring, as he has 13 goals and 16 assists. Significantly, he netted a powerplay goal to help tie the game in the win over the Buffalo Sabres. Mark Scheifele has tallied 13 goals and 14 assists. Furthermore, he had two assists against the Sabres. This will be a positive matchup for him, as he had two goals against the Hawks in the first game. Meanwhile, defenseman Josh Morrissey has been the best defensive player on both sides of the ice. Morrissey has two goals and 21 assists.
They lead an offense that is fourth in goals, assists, and shooting percentage. Additionally, the Jets have been amazing on the extra-man attack, ranking second on the power play.
Connor Hellebuyck is the best goalie in the NHL and comes in with a record of 16-5 with a 2.14 goals-against average and a save percentage of .927. He has produced a save percentage of over .900 in six consecutive games. Hellebuyck plays behind a defense that is fourth in goals against. Likewise, they have had some issues killing penalties and currently rank 14th on the penalty kill.
The Jets will cover the spread if they can get their offense buzzing early in the game. Then, they must defend the edges and not allow the Hawks to get scoring chances.
Why the Blackhawks Could Cover the Spread/Win
Chicago has a new coach after the Blackhawks fired Luke Richardson after an awful start to the season. Therefore, there will be a new look and attitude for a team lacking in scoring.
Connor Bedard is having a sophomore slump. He has just five goals and 14 assists over 26 games and has not scored in two games. Ryan Donato has been the only other consistent player with 10 goals and five assists. Consequently, they have not gotten the production they need from Teuvo Teravainen, Nick Foligno, and Alex Vlasic. Additionally, Taylor Hall has not done much, either. All these players must step up their game to help the offense gel better and produce more scoring chances.
These players lead a stagnant offense that ranks 30th in goals and assists and 26th in shooting percentage. Yet, they exceeded when they had an extra person on the ice, as the Blackhawks are 12th on the powerplay.
The Hawks rely on Petr Mrazek, their goalie, who has a record of 7-11, a 2.86 goals-against average, and a save percentage of .905. Substantially, Mrazek plays behind a defense that is 22nd in goals against. Yet, their work on special teams has been exemplary as they ate eighth on the penalty kill.
The Blackhawks will cover the spread if Bedard can gain some skating room and find opportunities to fling some shots at the net. Then, they need a good outing from their goalie, and for the defense to put in some work in front of them.
Final Jets-Blackhawks Prediction & Pick
The Jets are 13-14 against the spread, while the Blackhawks are 12-14 against the odds. Moreover, the Jets are 7-9 against the spread on the road, while the Hawks are 5-6 against the odds at home. The Jets are 11-15-1 against the over/under, while the Blackhawks are 8-15-3 against the over/under this season.
The Hawks covered the spread on the road in their one game against the Jets, taking them to the limit and losing by one goal. This will be the first game they have played since they fired their coach. Subsequently, I can see them playing harder in their first game with their new coach and finding a way to cover the spread at home.
Final Jets-Blackhawks Prediction & Pick: Blackhawks +1.5 (-162)
