Blackhawks vs Blues Prediction, Betting Odds, and Our Best Bet

The Chicago Blackhawks travel to Missouri tonight for a Central Division showdown against the St. Louis Blues for Wednesday night hockey. With the puck drop set for 9:30 p.m. ET, the Blues are coming in hot off a road swing that saw them pick up some convincing wins in Calgary and Vancouver. Chicago, on the other hand, is still trying to find its footing early in the season.

This matchup features 2 franchises heading in opposite directions, though we’re only a handful of games in. One is retooling and leaning heavily on youth, and the other is trying to capitalize on a balanced, veteran roster.

The Blues are currently listed as heavy -238 favorites on the moneyline, while the Blackhawks are +195 underdogs. The puck line sits at St. Louis -1.5 at +110 and Chicago +1.5 at -130. The total is set at 5.5 goals, with the over at -130 and the under at +110.

That tells us that the bookmakers are already seeing the trends with these teams and giving a little bit of extra favor to the Blues for their home ice advantage.

Game Details and Key Numbers

At 2-1-0, St. Louis is undoubtedly off to a solid start and sits near the middle of the Central Division. They’ve scored 3+ goals in 2 straight games and just beat Vancouver 5-2 behind a breakout performance from Jimmy Snuggerud, who netted 2 of their goals. Jake Neighbors also continues to impress with 3 goals in 3 games, leading the team in scoring.

The Blackhawks, meanwhile, are 1-2-1 and sit near the bottom of the division standings, down there with Utah. They’ve shown flashes, especially from young stars like Connor Bedard, who leads the team with 2 goals, and Teuvo Teravainen, who’s tallied a team-high 5 points spanning 1 goal and 4 assists, but their offense simply isn’t producing enough — they’re averaging just 2.5 goals per game and are 17th in the league in scoring. Again, it’s early, but with 4 games under their belt, there is enough data coming in to see where this team is heading.

On the other side of the ice, the Blues are averaging a full half-goal more at 3.0 goals per game. They’re also getting production from a deeper group, such as players like Pavel Buchnevich, Justin Faulk, and Nathan Walker, who have all chipped in offensively. Faulk has posted 4 points in just 3 games, while Walker is tied for the team lead in assists. They’ve got great momentum and enough depth to sustain this advantage.

Goaltending is another area where the Blues have the upper hand. Joel Hofer has been sharp with a 2.00 GAA and a .931 SV%. Jordan Binnington hasn’t been as strong with his 3.50 GAA and .860 SV%, but with Hofer likely to get the nod, St. Louis should be confident in between the pipes. Now, compare that to Chicago, where Spencer Knight has been decent with a 2.35 GAA and .920 SV%, but Arvid Soderblom has struggled badly with his 3.92 GAA and .879 SV%. 

Special Teams and Discipline Matter

Special teams could very well decide this game. The Blues have the better power play, where they’re converting on 22.2% of their chances, which is good for 11th in the league, while Chicago is stuck at 15.4% which puts them 20th. Both teams have an 80% PK rate, but the Blackhawks are by far the most penalized team in the NHL, averaging 17 minutes per game with 68 total PIMs. That’s a dangerous stat going up against a team that moves the puck well on the man advantage.

Discipline is clearly lacking for Chicago, which is one of just many reasons they’re hurting, and against a team like St. Louis that can make you pay with the extra skater, that’s not going to fly.

Intangibles and Trends

St. Louis is back at home after opening the season there, and momentum is clearly on their side. After a 5-0 drubbing by Minnesota on October 9, they bounced back in a big way with two straight wins over Western Conference rivals. The offense woke up, and the defensive structure returned. The last 2 games also saw reduced shots allowed and fewer odd-man rushes, something that was a problem early.

Chicago is still getting outshot regularly. They’re averaging just 19.8 SOG per game compared to allowing 30+ by the Blues, and continue to lean heavily on a few top players. If Bedard, Mikheyev, or Teravainen aren’t driving the play, the team tends to stall out. Their 3rd and 4th lines have contributed little, which won’t cut it against a deeper, more organized Blues roster. Of course, the Blackhawks will take help wherever they can.

Our Prediction and Best Bet

This one feels lopsided on paper and should play out that way unless the Blackhawks get an elite performance in the crease. But even then, the pressure the Blues are generating in recent games could break them down over 3 full periods of hockey. Add in the power play mismatch and Chicago’s penalty trouble, and this could turn ugly. 

We definitely like the Blues to win outright and even more so to cover the puck line. With Chicago’s defensive gaps and lack of scoring depth, St. Louis -1.5 at +110 offers some serious value. Don’t overthink this bet and take the more complete team on home ice.

• Prediction: St. Louis Blues 4, Chicago Blackhawks 2
• Best Bet: St. Louis Blues -1.5 at +110

Unless their first 4 games were a fluke, the Blackhawks are on a bad path early in the season, and it’s tough to turn it around against a team like the Blues.