The Blackhawks enter this contest coming off a season in which their 72 points were the second-fewest in the NHL, behind only the Canucks’ 58. Chicago has made the playoffs just once since 2017, and has averaged a measly 62.4 points per season over the last five years. There are certainly some bright spots on the roster, but it’s expected to be another long year in the lengthy rebuild.

On the other side, the Golden Knights made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final last season before ultimately falling to the Carolina Hurricanes. Since becoming an expansion franchise in 2017-18, the Golden Knights have made the playoffs in eight of their nine seasons which includes a Stanley Cup title in 2022-23 and trips to the Final in 2017-18 and 2025-26. With plenty of firepower to go around, Vegas is a Cup contender again this season.

The Blackhawks and Golden Knights met three times last season, with Vegas winning twice. The most recent meeting resulted in a 4-0 win for the Golden Knights on March 14 at T-Mobile Arena.

Blackhawks vs. Golden Knights NHL Betting Odds

Last season, the Blackhawks posted an overall record of 29-39-14, while the Golden Knights were 39-26-17. Given the vastly different expectations for these teams in 2026-27, it’s not surprising to see the Golden Knights heavily favoured in this season-opening matchup. Vegas enters with odds of -258 on the moneyline while Chicago is at +210.

When it comes to the puck line, Vegas -1.5 is valued at +105, while Chicago +1.5 has odds of -125. The game total is set at 5.5, with odds juiced to the Over at -135 and odds to +114 on the Under.

With odds of +155, Vegas’ Mark Stone has the shortest odds of any player to score a goal in this game. Stone potted 28 goals in 60 games last season, and scored seven goals over the course of 17 playoff games.

With odds of +210, Chicago’s Tyler Bertuzzi has the shortest odds of any Blackhawk to score a goal in this contest. Bertuzzi set a career-high with 32 goals last season.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks will start the new season without star center Connor Bedard.

Recently named Chicago’s captain, Bedard underwent a shoulder procedure in July that will keep him sidelined for at least another month.

It’s a tough blow for the Blackhawks, as their rebuild revolves around Bedard’s development. He set career-bests in goals (30), assists (45), and points (75) last season despite playing just 69 games.

The Blackhawks were among the lowest-scoring teams in the NHL last season, as they ranked 30th with an average of just 2.56 goals per contest.

Furthermore, Chicago’s power play percentage of 16.9% ranked 29th. The Blackhawks could struggle to find the net at a high clip early on in 2026-27 without Bedard in the mix.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights made a big coaching move last spring by parting ways with Bruce Cassidy in favor of John Tortorella. The move paid off, as Tortorella led a late-season surge that resulted in a Pacific division title and a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

After the season, Vegas chose not to retain Tortorella, and instead promoted Ryan Craig from their AHL affiliate. This will be his first game as an NHL head coach.

The Golden Knights have their main core back, but lost several key contributors such as Pavel Dorofeyev, who led the team with 37 goals in 2025-26. Other key departures include Keegan Kolesar, Colton Sissons, Reilly Smith, and Akira Schmid.

Vegas is a team that takes pride in their depth, so it will be interesting to see how they adjust without some key names in the mix this season.

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Blackhawks vs. Golden Knights?

In this matchup, the Golden Knights are the more experienced and proven team. Most notably, they possess a much higher ceiling offensively. With Bedard out, it may be difficult for the Blackhawks to keep up with Vegas’ well-rounded forward group.

In the end, I expect the Golden Knights to win this game by a score of 4-2.

BLACKHAWKS

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GOLDEN KNIGHTS

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