Carolina Hurricanes at Chicago Blackhawks Betting Preview
01 April 2021
Carolina comes into this game with 49 points on the season, which has them in third place in the Central. The Hurricanes had won three straight games before Chicago was able to slow them down on Tuesday.
Chicago has gone just 3-6 in their last nine games, and they are starting to fade in the playoff race. The Blackhawks still sit in fourth place in the Central Division, but they need to start stacking some wins.
The Hurricanes are -164 over the Blackhawks on Thursday night. Puck drop is at 8:00 P.M. Eastern on NBCSN.
Hurricanes Want to Score
Carolina not only wants to play a fast-paced style of hockey, but this team desperately wants to score. Carolina is averaging 3.2 goals per game, and they can light up a scoreboard when they are playing well.
Sebastian Aho leads the team with 15 goals and 33 points, but he has gotten a ton of help from his teammates. Carolina is converting on nearly 30 percent of their chances on the power play, and they make opposing teams pay for their penalties.
Goaltender James Reimer has posted a 13-4-1 record in net so far this season, and he has helped the Hurricanes stay near the top of the Central. However, Alex Nedeljkovic (8-3-2, 2.05 GAA, .927 save percentage, two shutouts) is likely to start Thursday. Carolina allows just 2.5 goals per game despite taking a ton of chances on offense.
Blackhawks Continue to Find Ways
The Blackhawks do not have impressive team stats this season, but they have found ways to win enough hockey games along the way. Chicago is scoring 2.8 goals per game, but they also allow more than three goals per night.
Patrick Kane continues to set the tone for Chicago on the offensive end of the ice, leading the way with 36 assists and 49 total points. Alex DeBrincat leads the team with 19 goals, and he continues to get better as his career moves along.
Chicago will need to be disciplined on Thursday and solid on the defensive end to slow down the Canes.
Carolina Gets Revenge
There is a real chance these teams will meet up in the playoffs at some point, which would make a great series. Chicago cooled Carolina off Tuesday night, but the Hurricanes will be refocused and ready to go on Thursday.
Chicago will need to score more than two goals if they want to beat the Hurricanes for a second straight night. The Blackhawks will struggle to find a way to slow Carolina down for a second straight night, making it tough on the home team.
While Chicago will play hard as usual, but they won’t be able to keep up on Thursday. Bet the Carolina Hurricanes -1.5 as they get revenge on the Blackhawks with a dominating performance.
BETTING PICK: Carolina Hurricanes (-164).
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