Chicago Blackhawks at Florida Panthers Betting Preview
The Chicago Blackhawks (24,33,10) match up against Florida Panthers (45,15,6) tonight in Florida for their second game of the series.
Florida Panthers found the win column in game one of the series defeating the Blackhawks 5-2 in Chicago while outshooting the Blackhawks 25-24.
The Blackhawks have been struggling all season and find themselves sitting in second to last place in the Central Division with only 58 points. The Panthers, on the other hand, are having a phenomenal year and are currently leading the Atlantic Division with 96 points.
The Panthers are favored heavily in this contest with -345 odds to win, while the Blackhawks are the underdog with +275 odds to win. The puck line for this contest is set at -1.5 for the Panthers with -145 odds and +1.5 for the Blackhawks with +125 odds. The under/over is set at 7.0, the under is set at -120, and the over is set at +100.
Chicago Blackhawks Betting Preview
The Chicago Blackhawks have had a very disappointing season so far, and things unfortunately just got a whole lot worse in Chicago. The Blackhawks, at the trade deadline, dealt starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to the Minnesota Wild, weakening the Blackhawks’ defense even more.
The Blackhawks are currently very far from a wild card spot and are currently on a two-game losing streak after losing to the Buffalo Sabers 6-5 on Monday night.
The Blackhawks’ defense has been by far their biggest issue this season, ranking in 8th place in the league for goals against, with 233 goals in only 67 games played. The team has also let up 11 goals in their last two games, and if they want to find a win against a tough Florida Panthers team, they are going to need to step up defensively.
Florida Panthers Betting Preview
The Panthers are having one of their best seasons in team history this year, and with the addition of Claude Giroux at the trade deadline, the Panthers are legitimate cup contenders. The Panthers currently lead the Atlantic Division and are currently coming off a 7-4 win against the Montreal Canadians on Tuesday night.
The Panthers have had no issues putting the puck in the net this season as they are currently leading the league in goals scored with 268 goals scored in only 66 games. The Panthers are led up front by forward Jonathan Huberdeau, who currently has an absurd 93 points in 66 games played this season, and forward Alexander Barkov, who has 66 points in 53 games played.
Betting Prediction
I believe that the Panthers will cover the puck line and beat the Blackhawks by over two goals on Thursday night. The Panthers have one of the best offenses in the league, and the Blackhawks have one of the worst defenses in the league.
The Panthers have been dominant in home games this season, holding a record of 24-6 as well. The Panthers also beat the Blackhawks in game one of the season by three goals, and I believe the Panthers are playing some of their best hockey of the season at this point.
The Blackhawks’ defense is extremely weak after the loss of starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, and with their defense letting up more than 220 goals this season, I do not believe that they are going to be able to slow down the Panthers red hot offense. The Panthers’ offense has a chance to explode Thursday night; the Panthers puck line at -145 is the pick of the night.
Betting Pick: Florida puck line -145