With a small four-game NHL slate on Wednesday with just two matchups in the late window, more eyes than usual look toward a Central Division clash at 9:30 p.m. EST. The Chicago Blackhawks (1-2-1) and St. Louis Blues (2-1-0) meet for the first time on the young season with the stakes a little higher than usual as this rivalry tilt takes center stage.
Get ready for the action with a Blues vs. Blackhawks prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Wednesday’s contest.
Blues vs. Blackhawks prediction, preview
St. Louis Blues
The Blues appeared hapless to begin last season, but the hiring of Jim Montgomery as head coach in November changed everything. After a couple of savvy acquisitions via the trade market, St. Louis snuck into the playoffs and came just a few seconds short of beating the Jets in the first round. Now, the team looks to recapture that momentum that sent them to the postseason on a more regular basis without the same early season struggles. This squad has talent in its top-six forward group with Jake Neighbours, Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich on the first line backed by Jordan Kyrou on the second. Through their first three games, the Blues have netted 3.0 goals per game with an average of 30 shots for, and the power play has hit at a respectable 22.2%. Jimmy Snuggerud’s play on the third line with a pair of goals stands out, and if he becomes a consistent option then this team gets all that much better. However, the defense has allowed 3.0 goals per game as well, and Jordan Binnington’s 3.50 GAA and .860 SV% through his first two appearances aren’t exactly a hot start.
Chicago Blackhawks
As for the visitors, the rebuild continues with hope for growth the goal rather than a postseason appearance. The Blackhawks have begun their season 1-2-1 with losses to the Panthers, Bruins and Canadiens but their first win did come on Monday over the Mammoth. Young stars Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar anchor the top two lines with Colton Dach and a couple of veterans in Andre Burakovsky and Teuvo Teravainen. Of those names, all but Dach have tallied at least three points with Nazar and Teravainen tied for the team lead with five, showing some real potential for this second line. Here’s the thing for Chicago, though… they’re being massively outworked on the blue line, allowing 30 shots against per game while taking just 19.8. The Blackhawks have allowed 2.75 goals on average with Spencer Knight playing well between the posts (2.35 GAA, .920 SV%), but until the defense can tighten up the attempts, it may be tough to win games.
Blues vs. Blackhawks pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Blues as very strong -250 favorites on the Moneyline at home. The Blackhawks are +205 underdogs to win outright with the game total set at 5.5 goals.
Look, we all love a good underdog pick. However, it’s probably not happening tonight. St. Louis swept Chicago in the season series last year and are a combined 16-2-2 against the Blackhawks over their last 20 matchups. The Blues simply have their opponents’ number, and as the rebuild continues for the visitors, that’s not very likely to change. Now, Chicago may actually prove feisty and challenge, especially with how that second line has performed through the opening few games. If Bedard and one more of the top-liners can also come out firing in this one, I quite like the Blackhawks to cover at +1.5. The -120 odds provide perfectly fine value there, and this game could prove more competitive than many may expect, especially if Binnington doesn’t look great.
