The Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche drop the puck on their respective 2021-22 seasons Wednesday with a 10 p.m. ET game at Ball Arena in Denver. Below, we look at the Blackhawks vs. Avalanche odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
Chicago’s youth movement has taken on some veteran presence in the offseason. How those newcomers — and some stars who were out last season — perform early on will go a long way to determining if the Blackhawks are contenders or pretenders for a playoff spot in the talented and parity-ridden Central Division.
The Avs look to be the class of that division, but they have an October hurdle to get over. Head coach Jared Bednar tested positive for COVID-19 last week and star C Nathan MacKinnon was put in the COVID protocol Tuesday after he tested positive. MacKinnon had 65 points in 48 games last season and his absence adds a betting wrinkle for this lid-lifter.
Blackhawks at Avalanche odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 11:55 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Blackhawks +160 (bet $100 to win $160) | Avalanche -200 (bet $200 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Blackhawks +1.5 (-150) | Avalanche -1.5 (+120)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: +105 | U: -130)
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Blackhawks at Avalanche projected goalies
Marc-Andre Fleury (26-10-0, 1.98 GAA, .928 SV%) vs. Darcy Kuemper (10-11-3, 2.56 GAA, .907 SV%)
Fleury notched six shutouts for the Vegas Golden Knights en route to winning the Vezina Trophy last season. Two of those six shutouts were against these Avs and Fleury clocked a .932 SV% across seven games against Colorado last season. He has been a fast starter over his career with a .919 SV% in October games.
Kuemper comes to the Avs after being banged up through stretches last season while playing for the Arizona Coyotes. The 31-year-old also has a decent history of getting out of the gates fast: he owns an October SV% of .921.
Blackhawks at Avalanche odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Avalanche 5, Blackhawks 3
Money line
Colorado went 24-4-2 at home last season. Look for the more settled roster — and one that tasted a bitter earlier-than-expected exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season — to hold serve in the opener.
A big price had an avoid tag Tuesday, but the money has poured in on the Blackhawks (and on the news of MacKinnon). Now, COLORADO (-200) is ripe for leverage coming back the other way.
Against the spread
The Avs’ plus-64 in goal differential was second-best in the NHL a year ago. Kuemper replaces G Philipp Grubaueras the main man between the pipes, and Colorado is once again a well-rounded group expected to win the Central and contend for the Cup.
Peg the new-look Blackhawks — with the returns of C Jonathan Toews and C Kirby Dach, and the additions of Fleury and D Seth Jones — as being an overrated public team. Last season, Chicago lost 14 games by 3-or-more goals; Colorado won 18 such games.
BACK THE AVALANCHE -1.5 (+120).
Over/Under
The ‘Hawks are coming off a high-scoring preseason. The Avs are the Avs, and are capable of getting most of the way to the total on a a fair number of nights.
A couple defensive injuries on both sides help open this one up. TAKE THE OVER 6.5 (+105) on what is the lightest lean of these three plays.
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