Central Division Rivals Meet for the Second Time
The Chicago Blackhawks visit the Minnesota Wild on Friday night following their home loss to the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights. The loss for the Blackhawks was their fifth straight, while the Wild have won three in a row.
Chicago’s lone goal scorer in Thursday’s setback was Taylor Raddysh. It was his ninth of the season and 13th point. The netminder for the Blackhawks was Arvid Soderblom, who allowed three goals on 24-shot attempts. Expect Petr Mrazek to be back as the starting goaltender for Chicago in this one.
Let’s check the latest NHL odds, stats, injury reports, and NHL lines for Blackhawks vs Wild. We’ve plenty of NHL betting odds for you to consider.
Blackhawks Continue to Play Poorly
Not only has Chicago lost five straight, but it is also 1-12-1 in the last 14. All the recent scores and odds for the Blackhawks have been less than stellar, which is a reason they have the fewest points in the NHL.
The Chicago Blackhawks are last in the Central Division on 7-17-4. All six of the Blackhawks’ previous games have been decided by two or more goals, while the under has hit in three of the past five.
Chicago is averaging 2.36 goals per game on 25.7 shots while giving up 3.68 goals on 34.1 shots per game. The Blackhawks’ special teams – especially the power play – have been better than the team’s overall record, with the power play converting at 23.3% and the penalty killers operating at 72.5%.
Chicago is playing on back-to-back nights. Since Arvid Soderblom got the nod on Thursday, many expect Mrazek to get the start. Mrazek is coming off his worst performance of the season. He allowed seven goals – including Alex Ovechkin’s 800th – in a loss to the Capitals on Dec. 13. He is 2-6-1 with a 4.37 goals-against average and .837 save percentage this season.
Scoop on Free Play from the Locker Room
Wild on a Roll
The Minnesota Wild enter Friday’s matchup at 16-11-2, third in the Central Division. The Wild have won the last three games in a row. Two of Minnesota’s previous five games (both losses) have gone over 6.5 goals.
Kirill Kaprizov (17 goals, 19 assists), Mats Zuccarello (10 goals, 20 assists), and Joel Eriksson Ek (10 goals, 14 assists) are the Wild’s leading scorers and the primary prop bet targets. Minnesota averages 3.07 goals per game on 31.6 shots while giving up 2.93 goals on 29.4 shots per game.
The Wild power play operates at 25.0% while the penalty kill works at a 79.6% clip.
Considering Filip Gustavsson (6-4-1, 2.33 GAA, .921 SV%) started the Minnesota Wild’s last game against the Detroit Red Wings, a 4-1 win, and after reviewing the Wild‘s goaltending rotation, we think Marc-Andre Fleury gets the start against the Blackhawks. Fleury has a 10-7-1 record, a 3.05 goals-against average, and a .895 save percentage.
Blackhawks vs Wild Game Injuries
Blackhawks vs Wild Head-to-Head
This is the second of four meetings in 2022-23.
The Wild won the first matchup 4-3 in a shootout on Oct. 30. Matt Boldy scored twice, Mason Shaw added a goal, and Frederick Gaudreau scored the shootout winner for the Wild. Jake McCabe, Jonathan Toews, and Andreas Athanasiou scored for the Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury made 23 saves to get the win, while Alex Stalock made 32 saves in the loss.
Blackhawks vs Wild Game Information
- Game: Blackhawks (7-17-4) vs Wild (16-11-2)
- Location: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minn.
- Day/Time: Friday, Dec. 16, 8 p.m. ET
- Blackhawks vs Wild Live Stream: NHL.TV
Blackhawks vs Wild Betting Lines
Blackhawks vs Wild Picks & Prediction
In the biggest mismatch of the Friday NHL slate, the latest NHL odds show the Minnesota Wild as massive favorites. You can bet the Wild at -400, with the total set at six. If you are interested in the Chicago Blackhawks, you can grab them at +320 on the moneyline.
Minnesota is 16-13 straight-up while Chicago is 7-21. The obvious pick for your online sports betting will be to take the Wild at the -1.5 (-145). The moneyline is quite large, and you can at least get a better payout with the puck line of -1.5. Minnesota is the significantly better team and should defeat the Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks are listed at +1.5 on the puck line spread and have a 13-14 record against the spread. The Wild are 12-17 ATS. This is the Wild’s game to win on Friday night.
If you are looking at betting the total of six goals, the Blackhawks have a 15-12 over/under record, while the Wild are 15-14.
Minnesota Wild is listed at -400 in our Vegas NHL lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Wild, you can win $25. Chicago is +320, offering a chance to win $320.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Minnesota an 80.00% chance to win with the Blackhawks at 23.81%.
