Flames vs Blackhawks

Chicago comes in riding a 5-2 run over its last seven, while Calgary has skidded to a 1-5 mark in its past six, including a draining road swing that wraps up tonight in Chicago. Both rosters are largely intact, but the Flames are down important forwards Blake Coleman and Martin Pospisil plus center John Beecher, and they’ve been managing Zayne Parekh’s day-to-day status on the back end, whereas the Blackhawks’ most notable absences are Teuvo Teravainen and Frank Nazar up front, with Bedard returning from a brief illness. At five-on-five, Calgary actually drives more of the shot share, yet Chicago’s edge on special teams is significant, with a top-tier power play and penalty kill versus the Flames’ bottom-third power play, which matters in what projects as a tight, penalty-influenced game. Crucially, the Blackhawks have already handled Calgary twice this season by a combined 9-2 score, with Bedard torching the Flames for multi-point nights in both meetings, and they now hold a three-point edge on Calgary in a crowded Western playoff race as both clubs pass the 40-game mark. I’m backing the Blackhawks on the moneyline at -118, grading it a B pick for a solid but not slam-dunk edge given the modest price and Calgary’s underlying five-on-five metrics. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 15/01/2026 09:45 ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/team/roster/_/name/cgy/sort/age/calgary-flames))

Totals bettors have to balance Calgary’s recent offensive slump with the matchup history and defensive profiles here: the Flames are averaging about 2.5 goals for and 3.0 against this season, Chicago sits around 2.8 for and 3.1 against, and combined they allow more than six goals per game, suggesting a number right at this 6-goal total. Recent trends add nuance—Calgary has seen the under hit in four of its last five road games, while Chicago has gone under in four of six overall, yet when these teams collide in Chicago the over has cashed in six of the last seven, and this year’s two meetings produced 4-0 and 5-2 Blackhawks wins with Bedard piling up seven points against the Flames. Chicago’s elite power play and penalty kill versus Calgary’s weak power play but decent PK creates volatility: if the Flames’ man-advantage shows any life, we can get to six or seven goals quickly given Chicago’s still-leaky five-on-five defense and multi-goal tendencies at home. Factoring in injuries to key forwards on both sides that slightly cap ceiling but also shorten benches, I’ll lean to Over 6 at -110, expecting something like a 4-3 or 4-2 finish with a push as a real possibility, and I’ll grade it a C+ due to the tight number and recent under trends. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 15/01/2026 09:45 ([foxsports.com](https://www.foxsports.com/articles/nhl/blackhawks-vs-flames-prediction-odds-picks-jan-15?utm_source=openai))

Although Chicago has been winning more often than not lately, several of those victories have been one-goal nail-biters, so laying -1.5 at a steep -275 is all about whether the matchup-specific edges can generate another multi-goal result like the 4-0 and 5-2 Blackhawks wins earlier this season. Calgary reaches Chicago at the end of a long trip, 1-5 in its last six, short a few regular forwards and potentially a young defenseman, while Chicago’s main scoring loss is Teravainen; Bedard, Tyler Bertuzzi and Andre Burakovsky are all available and have already combined for big damage against the Flames. The Blackhawks’ special-teams gap (top-10 PP and top-two PK) plus home-ice last change gives them a strong chance to stretch any lead, and they’ve been more opportunistic finishing chances than their underlying shot share would suggest, while Calgary’s fragile offense has struggled to chase games. Still, with both teams hovering on the playoff bubble and the Flames’ five-on-five profile not as bad as the recent scores look, there’s real risk of a tight 3-2 style outcome that never threatens the puckline, making this more of a high-risk, low-reward angle. I’ll side with Chicago -1.5 at -275 but can only grade it a C given the price and variance in late-game empty-net scenarios. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 15/01/2026 09:45 ([nhl.com](https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/5-things-flames-blackhawks-15-01-26))