In their second head-to-head meeting of the regular season, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Calgary Flames collide at the Scotiabank Saddledome in a Western Conference matchup. The opening face-off takes place at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 3, and it’ll be showcased live on Sportsnet.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Calgary Flames Odds
With a moneyline of -125, Calgary enters the game as the favorite. The line for Chicago sits at +105 and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals (-105 for the over, -115 for the under).
Calgary is 25-26 straight up (SU) and has lost 6.0 units for moneyline bettors this year. That early-season winning percentage is a regression from the 45-37 record that the team posted during the 2016-17 season campaign. 27 of its 51 games have gone under the total, while 23 have gone over and just one has pushed. The team is 12-16 SU at home this season.
The Flames have converted on just 17.4 percent of their power play chances this season, a figure that’s ranked 23rd overall in the NHL. On the other hand, their penalty kill is rated 18th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 80.5 percent of all penalties.
As a team, the Flames have been penalized 4.3 times per game overall this season, and 5.1 per game over their last ten contests. The teams had to kill penalties for a whopping 14.7 minutes per game over their last 10 matchups, overall.
Averaging 29.0 saves per game with a .922 save percentage, Mike Smith (21-22-6) has been the best goalkeeper for the Flames this year. If head coach Glen Gulutzan decides to give him the evening off, however, Calgary could roll with David Rittich (4-4-4 record, .926 save percentage, 2.23 goals against average).
The Flames will continue seeking offensive production from Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Gaudreau (58 points) has tallied 15 goals and 43 assists and has recorded multiple points on 17 different occasions this year. Monahan has 23 goals and 21 assists to his name and has recorded a point in 28 games.
Over on the other bench, Chicago is 24-27 straight up (SU) and has lost 7.5 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year. A total of 27 of its matches have gone under the total, while 22 have gone over and just two have pushed. As a road team so far, the Blackhawks are 12-14 SU.
The Blackhawks have converted on just 15.1 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that’s ranked 30th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 14th overall and it’s successfully defended 81.6 percent of all penalties.
Chicago’s players have been called for penalties 3.6 times per game in total this season, and 2.2 per game over their last five match ups. The teams been forced to defend opponent power plays just 7.8 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Corey Crawford (27.9 saves per game) has been the primary option in the net for Chicago. Crawford owns a 16-12-2 record, and has registered a .929 save percentage and 2.27 goals against average this year.
Leading the offensive attack for the visiting Blackhawks will be Patrick Kane, who’s got 20 goals and 30 assists this season.
Chicago Blackhawks at Calgary Flames Betting Predictions
Pick: SU Winner – Flames, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- Over Chicago’s last ten games, six of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 2-4 in those games).
- The Blackhawks are 4-7 SU when they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent while the Flames are 9-12 SU in games where they serve more minutes than the opposition.
- Two of Calgary’s last ten games have been decided by a shootout. The team is 0-2 in those games and 2-5 overall in shootouts this season.
- The over has hit in three of Calgary’s last five outings.
- Calgary has allowed 3.5 goals per game (while managing just 2.0 per contest) on its six-game losing streak.
- Calgary skaters have averaged 14.2 giveaways over its last five home games, a rise over its season average of 10.1 giveaways per game (ranked 21st in the league).
- Chicago is ranked 12th this season with 8.9 giveaways per game. That figure has trended down recently, however, as it’s averaged 7.9 giveaways over its last 10 games and 8.0 giveaways over its last five.
