Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and the Chicago Blackhawks will do battle against Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center for a divisional tilt. The opening face-off takes place at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 20, and you’ll be able to see the game live on NBC Sports Chicago.
Chicago Blackhawks at Dallas Stars Odds
Offering a moneyline of -195, Dallas enters the game as the substantial favorite. The line for the Blackhawks now stands at +170 and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 6 goals (-120 over, +100 under).
Dallas is 17-17 straight-up (SU) and has lost 0.8 units for moneyline bettors this year. That early-season winning percentage hasn’t moved much from the 42-40 record the team managed during the 2017-18 season campaign. Through 34 regular season outings, 18 of the team’s games have gone under the total, while 12 have gone over and just four have pushed. The team’s 11-4 SU at home this year.
The Stars have converted on 21.1 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked seventh overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 83.0 percent of all penalties.
Averaging 26.6 saves per game with a .922 save percentage, Ben Bishop (11-10-1) has been the top goalkeeper for the Stars this year. If Dallas chooses to rest him, however, the team could turn to Anton Khudobin (7-9-9 record, .911 save percentage, 2.87 goals against average).
Chicago has lost 13.8 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year and is currently 11-25 straight up (SU). Through 36 regular season outings, 20 of its games have gone over the total, while 14 have gone under the total and just two have pushed. As a road team, the Blackhawks are 4-14 SU so far.
The Blackhawks have converted on just 12.0 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that’s ranked 31st in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 31st overall and it’s successfully defended 72.1 percent of all opponent power plays.
Corey Crawford (.902 save percentage and 3.28 goals against average) has been the main option in goal for Chicago. Crawford is averaging 28.3 saves per game and owns a 6-17-2 record.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Dallas Stars Betting Picks
Free Pick: SU Winner – Stars, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- The total has gone over in four of Chicago’s last five games.
- Chicago has managed 29.8 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Dallas has been attempting 34.8 shots per game over its last five at home.
- Over Chicago’s last ten games, five of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 1-4 in those games).
- Chicago skaters registered 16.8 hits per game last season, while the Stars accounted for 22.7 hits per contest.
