Chicago Blackhawks at Colorado Avalanche odds, picks and best bets

The Chicago Blackhawks (14-16-6) travel to Denver to take on the Colorado Avalanche (22-10-3) in a 9 p.m. ET Central Division battle at the Pepsi Center. We analyze the Blackhawks-Avalanche odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.

Blackhawks at Avalanche: Projected starting goalies

Corey Crawford vs. Philipp Grubauer

Crawford has logged a 3.08 goals against average behind a ‘Hawks defense which yields a league-worst 36.0 shots on goal per game. The veteran netminder owns a .909 save percentage on the season, but over his last seven games – with three of those games coming against the Avs – Crawford has been tagged with an .885 figure. He owns a similar save percentage over his last four road games.

Grubauer owns a 2.79 goals against average and .915 save percentage over 20 starts. Those figures ticked toward the better when the 28-year-old German stopped 37 of 39 shots Thursday.

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Blackhawks at Avalanche: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Saturday at 12 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Chicago 4, Colorado 3

Moneyline (ML)

These two Central Division foes are about even in killing penalties (Chicago 18th, Colorado 20th), but give the Blackhawks a special-teams advantage in this contest. The ‘Hawks own a 28% power-play success rate over their last eight games. Veteran RW Patrick Kane remains the linchpin of the Chicago offense, with or without an extra skater, and Kane has a hot hand of late. The 31-year-old has seven points over his last three games and 31 over his last 22.

Colorado’s possession analytics don’t back up the team’s 9-2-1 mark over its last 12 games. The Avs are playing their fourth game in six days. They are 1-5 in fourth games the last six times that scenario played out on their schedule. Chicago’s faceoff, possession, and special-teams indicators are headed in the right direction. BLACKHAWKS (+190) is a solid play Saturday night. But be patient – betting is heavy on the Avs side; a 2-to-1 play could be there by puck drop.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Colorado has lost in regulation just four times in 16 home games, and the Avalanche are 6-5 in the tough Central Division. Still, trends on both sides are not supportive of a puck line play. Those trends include Avalanche routs of Chicago (by scores of 5-2, 7-3 and 4-1) on Nov. 29, Nov. 30, and Dec. 18, respectively. PASS on Chicago (+1.5, -143).

Over/Under (O/U)

The Under is 9-4 in the Blackhawks’ last 13 games as an underdog and 4-0 in the Avalanche’s last 4 games as a favorite.

But, PASS on the extra-juice proposition here 5.5 (Over: -154, Under: +125).

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