Blackhawks vs Senators NHL Betting Preview

Brady Tkachuk and the Senators come in having won three of their last four, capped by a 4-0 home shutout of Pittsburgh, while Chicago limps into Ottawa on a five-game skid and looking completely different without injured offensive engine Connor Bedard, who torched these same Sens for a hat trick in October but is now out until 2026. With Ottawa still in the thick of a crowded Atlantic race and riding a strong top six built around Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson, they should be able to dictate matchups and zone time against a Blackhawks group that has bled goals on this road trip and is leaning heavily on Spencer Knight to keep games respectable. Chicago’s depth down the middle is stretched with Bedard sidelined and Nick Foligno only just nearing a return, whereas Ottawa’s injuries (Lars Eller, Thomas Chabot, Shane Pinto) are softened by better organizational depth and a more stable defensive structure at home. Even though Linus Ullmark’s surface numbers are shakier than Knight’s this season, the Sens’ stronger 5-on-5 play, home-ice edge, and current momentum against a travel-weary, short-handed Hawks side make Ottawa the justified but expensive favorite, so the recommendation is Senators moneyline at -267 with a grade of B for high win probability but modest value. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 20/12/2025 09:26([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/team/roster/_/name/chi/chicago-blackhawks))

The first meeting between these teams finished 7-3 for Chicago and, even without Bedard, there are still enough defensive leaks and special-teams weapons on both sides to lean toward another game getting to six or more goals at Canadian Tire Centre. Chicago has allowed 101 goals through 34 games and is coming off a road stretch where their structure repeatedly broke down, while Ottawa has conceded 104 in 33 yet continues to trade chances because their top line pushes pace and their blue line is missing key minutes from Thomas Chabot. Linus Ullmark’s 3.05 GAA and sub-.880 save percentage this season suggest he’s far from a lock to smother a Hawks attack that still includes shooters like Tyler Bertuzzi and Andre Burakovsky, and Spencer Knight, though very solid overall, is being asked to paper over a fatigued defense on the second half of a long run of games. With the Senators’ top unit surging (Tkachuk, Stutzle, Batherson all driving recent wins) and historical evidence of both teams opening up against each other, Over 5.5 at -110 gets a B- grade: attractive enough given the defensive profiles, but tempered by Chicago’s reduced finishing talent without Bedard. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 20/12/2025 09:26([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3069285?utm_source=openai))

Given Chicago’s five-game losing streak, recent multi-goal road defeats, and the absence of Bedard’s game-breaking threat, there is a reasonable path to Ottawa winning by margin again after already dropping a four-goal decision to the Hawks earlier this season when the roles were reversed. Ottawa’s offense is trending up with Tkachuk, Stutzle, and Batherson all producing, while depth scorers like David Perron and Michael Amadio have chipped in lately, and that pressure should stress a Blackhawks blue line that has struggled to protect the slot and is missing key leadership minutes from Foligno up front. The risk on Senators -1.5 is that Spencer Knight has been legitimately strong this year and could steal a tight road result, and Ottawa’s own defensive injuries plus Ullmark’s inconsistency leave the backdoor cover open if the Sens sit on a lead late. Still, with Ottawa owning the more complete roster, better current form, and playoff-race urgency even before the season’s halfway mark, Senators -1.5 at -100 earns a C+ grade as a higher-variance, better-paying alternative to the chalky moneyline. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 20/12/2025 09:26([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/team/schedule/_/name/chi/chicago-blackhawks))