A pair of teams seeking more victories in the win column will face off on the ice in the Windy City as the Colorado Avalanche take on the Chicago Blackhawks for some Thursday night action. It is time to check out our NHL odds series where our Avalanche-Blackhawks prediction and pick will be revealed.
It is rare to see a defending champion like the Colorado Avalanche struggle so badly only seven months after winning the Cup, but that is exactly what occurred during the first half of the season. Losers in seven of their previous eight games played, Colorado is hoping that a road trip to Chicago will be the perfect opportunity to start sorting things out for the better.
On the other side of things, Chicago enters play on this Thursday as one of the more lousy teams that hockey has to offer. At the moment, the Blackhawks sit at 10-25-4 as they also have the lowest point total in all of the NHL. However, Chicago has won back-to-back games for the first time since the opening couple weeks of the season and will attempt to win a rare three straight matchups.
Here are the Avalanche-Blackhawks NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Avalanche-Blackhawks Odds
Colorado Avalanche: -1.5 (-132)
Chicago Blackhawks: +1.5 (+108)
Over: 6 (-112)
Under: 6 (-110)
How To Watch Avalanche vs. Blackhawks
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 8:30 ET/5:30 PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Avalanche Could Cover The Spread
Colorado could not have had a worse first period in their most recent game versus the Florida Panthers as it was the Avalanche that let up a trio of softies that resulted in a swift 3-0 deficit. Despite a valiant comeback, the Avs still went down in defeat by a score of 5-4. After compiling a 56-19-7 record a season ago, Colorado is in some deep trouble of missing out on the postseason if they cannot reverse their fortunes.
Without a doubt, the Avs have fallen victim of injuries this year, but that does not excuse the porous play that has been taking place in net. During the offseason, former goalie Darcy Keumper left in free agency and signed a deal with the Capitals while the Avalanche seemed his replacement by signing Alexandar Georgiev from the Rangers. Fast forward a few months later, and it is becoming evident that the scuffling Georgiev needs to play better if this club wants to return to the playoffs to at least have a chance at a repeat.
On paper, the first-time Avalanche net-minder is coming off five goals surrendered to Florida and has started in a career-high 12 consecutive games. With his below-average 2.75 goals allowed per game and a middle-of-the-pack .915 save percentage, Colorado's best chance of covering may be to give Georgiev the night off to help him clear his head.
Not to mention, it is vital for the Avalanche to play a full 60 minutes. This has often been a thorn in Colorado's side as too slow of starts have plagued them all year long.
Why The Blackhawks Could Cover The Spread
Things couldn't be much worse at the halfway point of the campaign for the Blackhawks, but some recent resurgent play has left Chicago's fans with some slight hope moving forward.
Although the Blackhawks hold a faulty 7-14-2 record within the confines of their home arena, the biggest advantage that Chicago may have over Colorado in this one may come in the form of a repeated effort in front of their fans. After a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory over the Flames on Sunday, Chicago will also be fortunate enough to be well-rested for tonight's action.
Other than the fact that the Blackhawks are energized and at home, they need to find a way to avoid getting outshot in abundant fashion. Against Calgary, Chicago allowed Flames skaters to pepper their goalie with a whopping 47 shots on net while it was the Blackhawks that only mustered up 25 shots on goal. Believe it or not, this did not come back to haunt Chicago, but getting constantly out-possessed for the puck won't fly against a Colorado squad that can make teams pay in a hurry.
In addition, who is going to come up big offensively for a team that is dead last in goals per game? With the absence of Patrick Kane being put on injured reserve, look no further than Chicago's top prospect in rookie Lukas Reichel to give Blackhawks fans a glimpse of a promising future with his stellar play. In his last time out, Reichel was able to score his first goal while also dishing out a pair of assists in only his third-ever professional bout.
Final Avalanche-Blackhawks Prediction & Pick
The last time these two clubs went to battle saw the Avalanche edge the Blackhawks 5-2 during the opening contest of the 2022-2023 season. It is hard to trust the Avs at this point, but expect them to take care of business against the worst team in hockey this evening.
Final Avalanche-Blackhawks Prediction & Pick: Avalanche -1.5 (-132)
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