Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues Betting Preview
21 January 2023
NHL Central Division rivals meet up on Saturday night as the St. Louis Blues host the Chicago Blackhawks. This will be the third meeting of the season between the rivals, and St. Louis has won each of the first two games.
Chicago comes into this game having won four of their last five games, and they have started to turn things around after a miserable start. The Blackhawks are still just 13-26-4 on the year, and that franchise is looking at a top draft pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
St. Louis comes into this game with an overall record of 23-20-3, and they are hoping to pick up their third win in a row. Injuries have hit the Blues hard this season, but they are still good enough to remain in the playoff race.
The Blues are the moneyline betting favorites in this game at -250 over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Blackhawks Struggling to Score
The Chicago Blackhawks have scored at least three goals in five straight games, but that hasn’t always been the trend this season. Chicago is scoring just 2.37 goals per game this season, and they continue to try and find more offense.
Patrick Kane leads the team with 21 assists on the year, but he hasn’t been able to put the puck in the back of the net often. Max Domi leads the team with 30 total points, and the Blackhawks can be dangerous on the power play.
Chicago has also been bad on the defensive end of the ice, as they are allowing 3.63 goals per game. Some of those goals allowed have come out of desperation on offense, and that could change if the offense continues to shine.
Blues Can’t Get Any Stops
If the St. Louis Blues are going to remain in the playoff race this season, then they will need to find a way to get better defensively. St. Louis is allowing 3.5 goals per game this season, and they no longer have the offense to make up for that.
The penalty kill has been a big problem for the Blues this season, as they have killed off just 74 percent of their own mistakes. St. Louis is scoring on the power play 23 percent of the time, but they have to stop allowing goals.
Jordan Kyrou continues to be one of the best offensive players in the league, as he has racked up 21 goals and 43 total points. St. Louis can still be explosive, but they are playing without two of their best offensive players.
Blackhawks Beat the Blues
Chicago has been a much better hockey team of late, and they are coming into this game with a ton of momentum. The Blackhawks are a team that does have some talent on offense, and this should be a good matchup for them.
St. Louis just can’t seem to figure out how to get stops, and the Blues aren’t going to be able to score enough to win this game. You should expect a tight affair in this one, but it will be the road team that wins.
Bet the Chicago Blackhawks moneyline as they pick up a win in this one.
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All Media on this page by Associated Press.
