Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat, and the Chicago Blackhawks will face off against Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller, and the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena for a Western Conference tilt. The opening face-off takes place at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 12, and you’ll be able to witness the game live on Fox Sports Arizona.
Chicago Blackhawks at Arizona Coyotes Odds
Arizona heads into the matchup as the substantial favorite with a -140 moneyline. The line for the Blackhawks now stands at +120 and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals (-105 for the over, -115 for the under).
Earning moneyline bettors 2.2 units, Arizona is 18-15 straight up (SU) overall thus far. That winning percentage, ranked 1st in the Pacific Division in this young season, is a welcome improvement over the 39-43 record from the 2018-19 season campaign. Out of the team’s 33 regular season contests, 19 of them have gone under the total, while 13 have gone over and just one has pushed. The team’s 7-8 SU at home this season.
The Coyotes have connected on 21.2 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that places them in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 17th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 80.6 percent of all penalties.
Averaging 28.9 saves per game with a .935 save percentage, Darcy Kuemper (13-8-2) has been the primary goalkeeper for Arizona this year. If head coach Rick Tocchet decides to give him a rest, however, the team may turn to Antti Raanta (5-7-7 record, .919 save percentage, 2.72 goals against average).
On the other bench, Chicago is 12-19 straight up (SU) and has lost 4.5 units for bettors taking the moneyline thus far. Through 31 regular season matches, 18 of its games have gone under the total, while 12 have gone over and just one has pushed. The Blackhawks are 5-9 SU as an away team this season.
The Blackhawks have converted on just 16.0 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that’s ranked 24th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 19th overall and it’s successfully killed off 79.0 percent of all opponent power plays.
Robin Lehner (.929 save percentage and 2.71 goals against average) has been the main option in goal for Chicago. Lehner is averaging 32.8 saves per game and has six wins, 10 losses, and five OT losses to his credit.
Chicago Blackhawks at Arizona Coyotes Betting Predictions
NHL Tip: SU Winner – Coyotes, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- The Coyotes are 5-2 in games decided by a shootout this season while the Blackhawks are 1-4 in shootouts.
- For both of these teams, the game went over the total in three of their last five outings.
- Over Chicago’s last ten games, six of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 1-5 in those games).
- Chicago skaters have given out the seventh-most hits in the league (25.7 per game), but that number’s down to just 17.6 hits over their last five away games.
