The Chicago Blackhawks visit the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night, with puck drop set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Amerant Bank Arena. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Florida is a -258 favorite on the Moneyline, while the total is set at O/U 6.5 goals.
Below, I’ll break down the matchup and provide my top Panthers vs. Blackhawks prediction and best bet.
Panthers vs. Blackhawks Odds
| Market | Chicago Blackhawks | Florida Panthers |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | +210 | -258 |
| Puck Line | +1.5 (-125) | -1.5 (+105) |
| Total | Over 6.5 (+120) | Under 6.5 (-142) |
Panthers vs. Blackhawks Betting Preview
Florida Panthers Outlook
Florida is still without two of its top forwards, with Aleksander Barkov (knee) on long-term injured reserve and Brad Marchand (leg) on injured reserve. However, both have resumed skating, at least. The Panthers have held up well in their absence regardless, posting a 6-4-0 record across their past 10 games, and they’ve been especially elite defensively at 5v5, allowing just 2.03 xGoals against per 60, good for the second-fewest in the NHL.
Matthew Tkachuk leads the club with 21 points and 17 assists, while Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Brady Tkachuk share the goal-scoring lead with eight apiece. Jacob Markstrom is confirmed to start his second straight game after returning from injury on Monday night, when he stopped 24 of 28 shots in a 5-3 loss to Detroit. He’s 3-2-1 with an .890 SV% and 2.50 GAA, and his +0.3 GSAx and +0.11% SV% above expected rank 30th and 29th, respectively, among 74 goaltenders.
Chicago Blackhawks Outlook
Chicago is still looking for its first road win of the season at 0-5-1, a spot in which it has been outscored 28-11 across six games. The Blackhawks have also scored two goals or fewer in 10 of their 15 games overall, and they’ll likely struggle even more up front tonight. Patrick Kane, who ranks second on the team with nine points, suffered an upper-body injury on Monday and is now expected to miss at least the next couple of games.
Connor Bedard has been a bright spot for Chicago, leading with 10 points across nine games, while Roman Kantserov’s six goals lead the club. Spencer Knight is likely to start after stopping 24 of 28 shots against the Avalanche, and he has held up much better than his 4-8-0 record suggests. Knight sports an .894 SV% and 3.28 GAA, but his +2.2 GSAx ranks 19th, and his +0.31% SV% above expected ranks 24th.
Panthers vs. Blackhawks Prediction and Best Bet
Eight of Chicago’s 10 regulation losses have come by two goals or more, and Florida has won four of the past five meetings between these teams, including a pair of 5-1 victories. The -258 Moneyline is too expensive for my liking, so I’ll take the Panthers to cover on home ice at a near-even price, especially with the Blackhawks missing one of their top playmakers.
Best Bet: Panthers Puck Line -1.5 (+105)
Advanced stats courtesy of MoneyPuck.
