Bruins vs Blackhawks

On the moneyline, Boston at -120 is the side to back, with the Bruins riding a five-game win streak and outscoring opponents 22-5 over that stretch while Chicago has dropped two straight and continues to hover below .500 despite a recent mini-surge. With ESPN’s active rosters confirming a Bruins group led by David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, Elias Lindholm, Charlie McAvoy and a strong tandem in goal featuring Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo, they simply bring more depth and finishing than a Blackhawks lineup that leans heavily on Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi up front and a young blue line built around Alex Vlasic and Louis Crevier. Significant injuries tilt things further: Boston is missing Hampus Lindholm on the back end and has Andrew Peeke listed day-to-day, but Chicago’s forward depth is more compromised with Teuvo Teravainen and Sam Lafferty banged up and Frank Nazar on injured reserve, while Bedard is still officially day-to-day and not yet back to a fully clean bill of health. The Bruins already edged the Hawks 4-3 in overtime earlier this season, and Pastrnak’s long-run production against Chicago – double-digit goals and nearly a point per game in his last 20 meetings – underlines the matchup edge for Boston’s top talent. In the broader context of both teams having passed the 41-game mark, Boston is in a tight Eastern playoff race where banking points against non-playoff Western opponents matters, whereas Chicago is scrapping just to stay in the wild-card conversation, which often leads to riskier third-period game states that favor the better offensive team. Pricing the Bruins closer to the mid- to high-50s in win probability gives this moneyline a modest but real edge, not a slam dunk but enough to warrant a B grade given the combination of current form, roster health, and star-level matchup edges. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 10:05

With the total sitting at 6, the lean is to Over 6 (-118), as Boston’s recent offensive surge collides with a Chicago team that struggles to keep pucks out of its own net despite an excellent penalty kill. The Bruins come in averaging just over 3.25 goals per game on the season with a top-tier power play, and they’ve hit four or more goals in five straight, while the Blackhawks allow just over 3.10 per night and have been shelled for at least four goals in several recent home dates despite that 85% kill. Chicago’s offense is inconsistent overall at around 2.75 goals per game, but when Bedard is in the lineup he drives both shot volume and pace, and Bertuzzi has been finishing at a high clip with 20-plus goals already, which gives the Hawks enough punch to contribute two or three in a higher-event game. Injuries push this total in both directions – Lindholm’s absence softens Boston’s defensive structure and can open up rush chances for Chicago, while Teravainen, Lafferty and Nazar limit some of the Hawks’ secondary scoring – but the earlier 4-3 overtime meeting between these teams this season, combined with Boston’s current winning streak and hot special teams, suggests that six is a reachable number with a realistic path to seven if the third period opens up. Given Chicago’s motivation to keep its dwindling playoff hopes alive after 47 games and Boston’s need to keep pace in a jammed Atlantic race, late empty-net scenarios lean toward an aggressive close rather than a sleepy finish, which adds a little extra equity to the Over. The volatility of relying on Boston to carry much of the scoring on the road keeps this at a B- rather than a higher grade, but the matchup and recent trends still nudge the total toward the high side. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 10:05

For the puckline, Bruins -1.5 at 190 is a higher-risk, higher-reward angle that’s still worth a small look given the gap in five-on-five quality and recent scoring form, but it only grades out as a C+ play. Boston’s last few wins have often been by multiple goals as their offense has clicked around Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie and Viktor Arvidsson, while Swayman has stabilized in net with a goals-against average under 3.00 and solid underlying numbers; that combination has produced several low-scoring wins and a handful of runaways where late insurance and empty-net goals have come into play. Chicago, by contrast, owns a negative goal differential with a profile heavy on multi-goal losses – from blowouts against Anaheim and Los Angeles to recent home defeats where they’ve been outscored 7-2 across just two games – and their reliance on Bedard and Bertuzzi to generate offense becomes even more pronounced with Teravainen and Lafferty not fully healthy and Nazar out long term. On the flip side, the Blackhawks’ excellent penalty kill and a generally low-event style when protecting their fragile playoff chances can keep games within a goal at home, especially if Bedard is close to full strength and Spencer Knight or Arvid Soderblom delivers an above-average outing, which is why the probability of Boston winning but not covering remains very live. Factor in that this is a road spot for the Bruins and that Chicago has already pushed them to overtime once this season, and the fair cover probability sits only modestly above the price-implied number, making this more of a value stab than a core position, suitable for a smaller stake and graded C+ for its combination of upside and elevated variance. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 10:05