Detroit Red Wings vs. Chicago Blackhawks Prediction, NHL Odds
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Edgar Chaput
Detroit is rolling, no pun intended. The latest success story as they fight for a playoff spot was on Saturday afternoon at home when they thumped the St. Louis Blues 6-1. For its part, Chicago is working on putting in consistent performances. They fought valiantly on Friday night at home against the Winnipeg Jets and earned a point courtesy of a 3-2 OT defeat.
The NHL odds believe that the Red Wings will handle their business tonight, pegging them at -175 on the moneyline.
Red Wings vs. Blackhawks NHL Betting Odds
Not much separates Detroit and Chicago in head-to-head meetings. Both have won five of the last 10 encounters, which date back to February 2021. The Michigan-based franchise has taken the most recent two, including the first meeting this season.
Things are going very well for the Red Wings these days. The club has gone from a meandering squad that struggled to make a mark in the Eastern Conference to a force to be reckoned with. Detroit is 7-2-1 outright in its last 10 contests, which has helped bolster its record ATS to a splendid 33-22 for the campaign. They’ve also scored at least four goals in five of their last seven matches, solidifying their ranking as the sixth-best attack in the NHL (3.51 goals per game).
Things are not as rosy in the Windy City. The Blackhawks aren’t winning much (15-39-4), don’t cover the spread often (26-32), have the second-worst goal differential in the league at -84, and the defence is currently banged with three players either out or listed as day-to-day: Nikita Zaitsev, Louis Crevier, and Connor Murphy. The most they can aspire to at the moment is to make life difficult for opponents and sneak in some wins against the spread.
Detroit Red Wings
Saturday afternoon’s tilt versus the St. Louis Blues at home had magnitude about it. Although both clubs contend in different conferences, each is doing its best to remain in the playoff race. If this game was any indication, Detroit looks more steadfast with its intent.
The match was effectively over after the 20 minutes. If one wants to get snarky, the game was over after 5:24 when the Red Wings made it 3-0. Patrick Kane (11th) cashed in on a odd-man rush 33 seconds into the contest. Michael Rasmussen (12th) did the same at 4:21 before a defensive gaff in the St. Louis crease gifted Robby Fabbri (14th) a goal. Not ones to rest on their laurels, Alex DeBrincat (20th) roofed a wrist shot on the power play before the sides returned to their quarters. The rest of the match didn’t feature the same blitzkrieg of offence, but DeBrincat (21st) and J.T. Compher (14th) put it undiputably out of reach in the middle frame. An easy, uncomplicated win for Detroit. Make the final 6-1.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks have a knack for playing the Winnipeg Jets tight. It doesn’t seem to matter how poor Chicago is, Winnipeg is rarely capable of emphasizing its superior talent level.
Yet another piece of evidence to that effect was Friday at the United Centre. For a while, it seemed as though the Jets would finally have an easy game against the Blackhawks, especially when they made it 2-0 in the second period. However, the Hawks restored pride with a pair of goals of their own. Colin Blackwell (fifth) halved the deficit with a sweet breakaway marker in the second period. Tyler Johnson earned him team a point by levelling the terms with only 43 seconds left in the game. They could have won it but Jets keeper Connor Hellebuyck made some sensational stops. To his credit, so did Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek. Unfortunately he was helpless on a deflected shot early in OT, resulting in a 3-2 defeat.
Connor Bedard has been held pointless in two consecutive matches.
DET
CHI