Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks Betting Pick & Prediction 12/17/23

Making on a bet on this NHL game featuring the Canucks versus the Blackhawks? The puck drops at 3:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on NBCS. The game will be played at United Center in Chicago, IL. In this Western matchup, the Canucks are the betting favorite against Blackhawks. The over/under for the game is 6.5 goals.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS VS CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Chicago Blackhawks +1.5

This game will be played at United Center at 3:00 ET on Sunday, December 17th.

WHY BET THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS:

• In spite of being 1.5 goal underdogs, we anticipate the Blackhawks winning this one 4-2.
• We like the Blackhawks on the moneyline (+180)
• The Blackhawks are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Will Vancouver Win on the Road?

This season, the Canucks currently hold an overall record of 20-9-2. When playing on the road, Vancouver has a 8-6-1 record, while they are 12-3-1 at home. This record has them sitting 2nd in the Western Pacific division and 2nd in the Western conference.

Against the puck line, Vancouver is 22-9. Their road puck line record so far is 10-5 while sitting 12-4 at home against the puckline. For the season, Vancouver’s games have finished with an average of 6.2 goals per game. Their average over/under line for the season is 6.5. Overall, the Canucks have an over/under record of 17-12-2.

When looking at their past three road matchups, Vancouver has an puck line record of 2-1 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.

On the offensive side, the Canucks are scoring an 3.7 goals per game this season, ranking 1st in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 24th in the league. Vancouver’s offense comes into the game ranked 3rd in power play goals. And in terms of shorthanded goals, they are 11th in the NHL.

Vancouver’s current leading scorer is Brock Boeser. This season, he has 22 goals, which puts him 2nd in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 14 assists so far.

Defensively, the Blackhawks are currently 12th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 32.5 shots per game against Chicago. They also are 19th in shutouts, coming in with 1 shutouts.

Entering the game, goalie Thatcher Demko has started 22 games this season. His current record stands at 15-7, and his save percentage is 0.956%.

Can the Blackhawks Offense Score Enough at Home?

The Blackhawks come in with an overall record of 9-19-1. On the road, Chicago has a 4-12-0 record, whereas they are 5-7-1 at home. Their current record places them 8th in the Western Central division and 16th in the Western conference.

In terms of the puck line, Chicago posted a 13-16 record. On the road they are 6-10 against the puck line, while their overall home performance is 7-6. Games involving Chicago have an average of 5.9 goals per game this season. Their average over/under line is 6.3. In terms of their over/under performance, the Blackhawks come in with a record of 11-16-2.

Across the Blackhawks last three home games, the team averaged 1 goals per game while allowing 5. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 0-3, while going 0-3 straight-up.

On the offensive side, the Blackhawks are scoring an 2.3 goals per game this season, ranking 30th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 30th in the league. Chicago’s offense is currently ranked 30th in power play goals. When it comes to shorthanded goals, they are 27th in the league.

Chicago’s leading goal scorer is Connor Bedard. So far this season, he has 12 goals, placing him 44th in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 12 assists so far.

The Blackhawks defense is currently 12th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 32.5 shots per game against Chicago. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 19th with 1 shutouts.

Heading into this matchup vs. Vancouver, goalie Petr Mrazek has started 16 games in this season. His current record is 7-9, and his save percentage stands at 0.835%.