Mark Stone, Matt Duchene, and the Ottawa Senators will do battle against Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center in an East-West showdown. The match gets going at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday, February 18, and fans at home are able to catch it live on NBC Sports Chicago.
Ottawa Senators at Chicago Blackhawks Odds
The Blackhawks (-160) are being picked as the favorites over the Senators (+140) and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 7 goals (-145 for the over, +125 for the under).
Chicago is 24-35 straight up (SU) and has lost 4.9 units for moneyline bettors thus far. That early-season winning percentage is right in line with what the team produced during last year’s regular season (33-49). Of its 59 games this season, 38 have gone over the total, while 18 have gone under and just three have pushed. This year, the team is 13-17 SU at home.
The Blackhawks have converted on 21.1 percent of their power play chances this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 31st overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 73.4 percent of all penalties.
With a .896 save percentage and 30.1 saves per game, Cam Ward (12-14-4) has been the best goalkeeper for the Hawks this season. If Chicago decides to give him a breather, however, the team could turn to Corey Crawford (6-17-17 record, .902 save percentage, 3.28 goals against average).
Over on the visiting bench, Ottawa is 22-36 straight up (SU) and has lost 2.1 units for moneyline bettors thus far. A total of 33 of its outings have gone over the total, while 21 have gone under the total and just four have pushed. The Senators are 8-20 SU as the visiting team this season.
The Senators have scored on 21.7 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that places it in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 25th overall and it’s successfully killed off 77.4 percent of all penalties.
Craig Anderson (31.4 saves per game) has been the primary option in goal for Ottawa. Anderson has 14 wins, 21 losses, and three overtime losses to his credit, and has registered a .904 save percentage and 3.55 goals against average this year.
Ottawa Senators vs. Chicago Blackhawks Free Picks
Free Pick: SU Winner – Senators, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- For both of these clubs, the total has gone over in each of their past five matches.
- Chicago’s attempted 31.7 shots per game overall this season (ranked 16th in the NHL), and 33.8 across their last 10 outings.
- Seven of Chicago’s last ten outings have been decided by two or more goals. The team is 5-2 overall in those games.
- Ottawa skaters notched 24.0 hits per game last season, while the Blackhawks logged 16.8 hits per contest.
