The Chicago Blackhawks welcome the Minnesota Wild at United Center Wednesday night.  The Blackhawks have been winless in two meetings with Minnesota this season, so they are looking to prevent another setback at the hands of their divisional rival. As for Minnesota, they are on a roll and would love to add another win to their record to help their chances to finish inside the top three of the Central Division. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NHL odds series, which includes our Wild-Blackhawks prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Wild-Blackhawks odds:

NHL odds: Wild-Blackhawks Odds

Wild: -1.5 (+148)

Blackhawks: +1.5 (-184)

Over: 6.5 (-108)

Under: 6.5 (-112)

*Watch NHL Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)

Why the Wild Could Cover the Spread 

It’s been smooth sailing for the Wild (27-10-3) of late, as they have gone 5-0-0 in their last five games – a stretch that also includes a pair of victories over Chicago. Minnesota beat the Blackhawks on Jan. 21 at United  Center, 5-1,  and then again at home the following day, 4-3 in overtime.

And then after scoring nine goals in those wins, the Wild inundated the hapless Montreal Canadiens in an 8-2 victory. Minnesota’s offensive onslaught did not stop there, as the Wild defeated the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders in the next two games – both on the road – via a combined score of 7-5. 

In 10 games since the start of 2022, the Wild have averaged 4.3 goals, the third-best in the NHL, so far this year. Even though the Wild are just 13th in the league this year with a 51.81 CF%, they are scoring a bunch of goals because of the quality of their shots; Minnesota in 2022 is second-best with a 62.96 HDGF%.

That’s going to be tough to stop for Chicago, which has just allowed nine 14 goals in its last three games. Wild goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen could make a third start against the Blackhawks tonight. He turned away 68 shots in a couple of Minnesota wins versus Chicago. Minnesota enters Wednesday’s date with the Blackhawks with a 6-1 record in its last seven games as chalk on the road.

Click here to Bet $5, Win $280 on either team in Super Bowl 56 (56-1 Odds)

*To claim, new users need to register, make a first-time deposit, and then simply place their first real-money wager on FanDuel Sportsbook on any NFL team playing in the NFL Super Bowl to win their matchup. All winning bets will be fulfilled within 72 hours if they win.*

Why the Blackhawks Could Cover the Spread 

As mentioned earlier, the Blackhawks’ defense has been functioning like a broken turnstile. Chicago, which is coming off a 3-1 home loss to the Vancouver Canucks last Monday, has given up at least three goals in six of their past seven outings and at least four in four games during that same span. The Blackhawks’ (16-22-7) penalty killing has also been horrible lately, having allowed six PP goals to their opponents in their past five games.

All that being said, Blackhawks backers can draw confidence from the fact that Minnesota has lost a bunch of games in Windy City in the Wild’s past several visits there. 

As a matter of fact, Minnesota has only won eight times in its last 25 games in Chicago. Moreover, the home team in this matchup has won seven times in nine games. Minnesota is one of the most penalized teams this season, so the Blackhawks’ power play should be ready to take advantage when opportunities arise later tonight. The Wild are fourth in the NHL  in penalty minutes and eighth in total penalties drawn.

Plus, Minnesota owns a middling 80.2 penalty kill percentage, good for just 15th overall. In the second meeting with Minnesota this season, the Blackhawks went 2/5 on the power play.  Alex DeBrincat could help in that area for the Blackhawks, as he has five goals with four power play points in the last 10 games. Patrick Kane paces Chicago this season with 31 assists.

Final Wild-Blackhawks Prediction & Pick

Minnesota is in the third leg of its four-game road trip. Although the Wild have taken a two-day rest before Wednesday’s meeting with the Blackhawks, there could be some fatigue creeping in for the team. Look for the Blackhawks to pounce on that, as they keep the score close just enough for them to finish with at least a puck line cover.

Final Wild-Blackhawks Pick: Blackhawks +1.5 (-184)