Two of the worst teams in the Western Conference face off as the Anaheim Ducks visit the Chicago Blackhawks. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Ducks-Blackhawks prediction and pick.
The Anaheim Ducks come Monday night sitting at 6-8-2 on the year. They will be on the road Monday night before this game, facing the Dallas Stars. Going into the game, they have been playing better, even with a depleted roster. They have won two of the last three. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks come into the game at 6-11-1 on the year. They have lost four of their last five, and last time out they faced the Vancouver Canucks. The Blackhawks took the 1-0 lead in the first period, but the Canucks tied the game in the second. They would give up three goals in the third period and defeat the Blackhawks 4-1.
Here are the Ducks-Blackhawks NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Ducks-Blackhawks Odds
Anaheim Ducks: +1.5 (-205)
Moneyline: +125
Chicago Blackhawks: -1.5 (+164)
Moneyline: -150
Over: 5.5 (-140)
Under: 5.5 (+114)
How To Watch Ducks vs Blackhawks
Time: 8:30 PM ET/ 5:30 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Ducks Could Cover the Spread/Win
Troy Terry leads the top line this year for the Ducks. Terry has scored six goals and added six assists this year, for a team-leading 12 points. He has three goals and two assists on the power play this year. He is joined by Frank Vatrano and Trevor Zegras. Vatrano has two goals and five assists this year, while Zegras had two goals and two assists this year.
Still, the Ducks will be missing a major piece of their offensive attack. Mason McTavish is day-to-day and may miss this game. He has scored two goals and six assists this year, sitting third on the team in points this year. Still, the Ducks get production from Leo Carlsson and Ryan Strome. Carlsson has five goals and four assists this year, while Strome has four goals and four assists on the year.
John Gibson is expected to be in goal for the Ducks in this one. Gibson has made just two starts this year, going 2-0-0 on the year. He has a 3.01 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage this year. In his last start, he stopped 21 of 25 shots in a win over the Red Wings. In the start prior to that, he stopped 38 of 40 shots in a win over the Blue Jackets.
Why the Blackhawks Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Blackhawks have been led by Connor Bedard on the top line. Bedard comes into the game with three goals and ten assists this year, while also having six assists on the power play this year. He is joined on the top line by Ryan Donato and Phillip Kurashev. Donato comes into the game leading the team in goals this year. He has eight goals and three assists this year while having an assist on the power play. Kurashev has three goals and one assist this year, with a goal on the power play.
Meanwhile, Tevuo Teraveinen has been solid from the third line and on the power play this year. Teraveinene comes in with four goals and four assists on the year. Three goals and three assists come on the power play this year. Second-line forward Nick Foligno has also been good this year. He has five goals and two assists on the year. He is joined by Tyler Bertuzzi on that line. Bertuzzi has five goals and one assist this year. Finally, blue-lines Seth Jones has been solid, with two goals and eight assists on the year. He has two goals and three assists on the power play.
Petr Mrazek is expected to be in goal for the Blackhawks in this one. Mrazek is 5-8-0 on the year with a 2.79 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. He has been solid as of late. Last time out he stopped 23 of 25 shots against the Kraken but took the loss to the Kraken. It was his fifth straight game allowing three or fewer goals, and his third time in four games being above .920 in save percentage.
Final Ducks-Blackhawks Prediction & Pick
The Ducks have struggled to score this year, scoring just 2.44 goals per game this year. Still, they have struggled in odd-man situations, sitting 28th on the power play and 30th on the penalty kill. The Ducks are also 17th in the NHL in goals against per game this year. The Blackhawks have not been much better. They are worse in goals per game, scoring just 2.33 goals per game this year. They are slightly better on defense though, sitting tied for 14th in the NHL in goals against per game. The Blackhawks are slight favorites in terms of odds in this early-season NHL fixture, but the Ducks have been the better team.
Final Ducks-Blackhawks Prediction & Pick: Ducks ML (+125)
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