NHL Picks

NHL Betting Game Trends

Both the Chicago Blackhawks and the Colorado Avalanche played last night, and they are going to be back in NHL betting action once again on Wednesday when they take each other on for the first game of a home-and-home set at the United Center.

Colorado has to know that it is in some trouble right now. The team has lost back to back games and five out of six, and it has scored just one goal in each of its first two games on this road trip to the Central Division. The offense has been totally out of sync and really has only played one great game, a 5-4 win over the Calgary Flames since February 18th. In fact, in the five road games played since February 16th, the team only has a total of eight goals scored, and that isn’t going to get the job done. Colorado is on the wrong side of the playoff push right now, something that probably isn’t likely to be made better with two games against these Blackhawks coming, and it is a team that is in some rough waters at the moment. We expect to see G Semyon Varlamov in this one, knowing that G Jean-Sebastien Giguere was in the pipes on Tuesday night. Varlamov is the team’s regular goalie at this point, but his numbers are nothing to write home about. He is 6-11 in his 17 games, and his 2.79 GAA is nothing spectacular.

The Blackhawks just keep rolling right along, and there is no end in sight to this winning streak. The team has captured 10 SU victories in a row, a feat that would be impressive enough in and of itself. However, the most impressive mark is that 23 straight games have gone by the boards and only a total of three points have been dropped. It’s the best start in 23 games in a season in NHL history, and it really isn’t all that close. With at least a point tonight, the streak will be at 30 straight games without a loss in regulation dating back to last year, and a stunning half of the season will be said and done with, with the team not suffering one loss in 60 minutes. The stats just keep getting better for both G Corey Crawford and G Ray Emery, and regardless of which is in net tonight, we expect to see a well-defended game. There are also six players with at least 12 points and another eight with at least seven points, and that well-rounded nature for the boys from the Windy City is what is winning them games.

There really is no justification for taking the Avalanche aside from the fact that the price on their heads is just out of this world. Had this game been played Day 1 of the season, Chicago would have been a -160 or so favorite. The overlay here to -230 is just insane. Will the Blackhawks win this game? Probably. Are they going to win it more than two out of three times to justify taking them? Not nearly.

Colorado Avalanche @ Chicago Blackhawks Pick: Colorado Avalanche +200