Blackhawks vs Blues

Chicago just snapped a mini-slide with that 3-0 win at Madison Square Garden, pushing the Blackhawks to a middling but respectable 13-11-6 overall mark, while St. Louis sits below .500 and continues to slog through a 4-5-1 stretch over its last 10 with a hefty negative goal differential and a 5-7-4 home record. The injury picture tilts this matchup further toward the visitors: the Blues are missing key offensive pieces like Jordan Kyrou and Nick Bjugstad along with multiple depth wingers on injured reserve, leaving Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich with a heavy load, whereas Chicago’s notable absences (Laurent Brossoit and long-term cap hold Shea Weber) barely affect its nightly rotation. These current rosters already met once at Enterprise Center this season in an 8-3 Blackhawks win, when Lukas Reichel scored twice and Bedard picked apart St. Louis with three primary assists, underscoring how Chicago’s speed and playmaking can stress the Blues’ defense and goaltending. With the market still installing St. Louis as a modest favorite around -130 at home, the Blackhawks at +110 offer the better blend of form, health, and matchup history, so backing Chicago on the moneyline is my play, graded a B for solid value with manageable volatility. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 12/12/2025 09:23

That wild 8-3 opener between these teams looms large, but recent data and the current injury sheet point toward a lower-event game than the first meeting suggests, with the Blues averaging just about 2.2 goals for and 3.2 against over their last 10 and the Blackhawks around 2.3 for and 3.8 against in the same span. St. Louis has lost a chunk of its forward depth and one of its premier finishers in Kyrou, along with Bjugstad, Toropchenko, Walker, Snuggerud, and Zach Dean all sidelined, which forces heavy minutes on a shortened top nine and limits the transition game that usually drives totals higher. Chicago’s attack is increasingly centered on Bedard and a small cluster of primary contributors, and while their blue line is far from airtight, Spencer Knight’s recent 21-save shutout and the Blackhawks’ tendency to play more controlled, lower-scoring road games both nudge this toward a tighter scoreline. With the total set at 6 and both teams’ recent scoring profiles clustering closer to a combined 5–5.5 goals, plus the likelihood that St. Louis tightens up structurally after conceding eight last time, I lean to Under 6 at -115, graded B- because defensive lapses on either side can still turn this into a sweat. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 12/12/2025 09:23

When you factor in current streaks, injuries, and how the first meeting played out, taking Chicago on the puckline at +1.5 feels like the most secure way to play the matchup, even at a steep -225 price: the Blackhawks’ 6-6-3 road record and the Blues’ 5-7-4 mark at home both suggest a strong likelihood of a one-goal result. St. Louis being without Kyrou, Bjugstad, Toropchenko, Walker, Snuggerud, and Dean leaves its forward group thinner and less explosive, forcing coach Jim Montgomery to lean heavily on Thomas and Buchnevich for offense, which in turn lowers the probability of the Blues running away to a multi-goal win. Chicago, meanwhile, not only has Bedard driving play but already demonstrated a clear stylistic edge in this building with that earlier 8-3 victory, and Knight’s current form in net further supports the idea that, win or lose, the Blackhawks can keep things inside a goal. Considering the combination of a depleted Blues attack, the teams’ recent tendency toward tighter scores, and the structural cushion of a goal and a half, Blackhawks +1.5 at -225 is my favorite puckline angle, graded B+ for high likelihood of cashing despite limited upside. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 12/12/2025 09:23