Betting On Chicago vs St Louis Pro Hockey Odds

Given how good the Central Division is in the NHL, it seemed almost inevitable that we would get at least one first round series featuring a pair of divisional rivals. The one that we got has the potential of being a beauty, as it features the defending Stanley Cup Champion having to start out on the road against a team that got the best of them during the regular season. If ever a series was built to go 7 games, it looks as though this one between the Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues may well be it. The Blues got the better of the regular season series, winning 3 of 5, but 3 of the games in that series needed overtime or a shootout to decide them. That tells you just how evenly matched these two are, which mean that this one may essentially come down to a coin flip for many NHL online bettors. The opening game of this series will be on Wednesday night in St. Louis, with the opening face-off set for 9:30 PM EST on NBCSN. You can get your wagers on for this one, as well as every other playoff game.

Betting On Chicago Blackhawks vs St Louis Blues Pro Hockey Odds

Why bet on the Chicago Blackhawks to win the series

It was always going to be tough for the Chicago Blackhawks to repeat as champion, but this opening round match-up may just have made it tougher still. It’s fair to say that this current team is not as good as the one that won it all last year, especially on defense, where they have looked a little porous at times. This is a series that could potentially turn into a shootout between a pair of gunslingers, and you feel that Chicago is going to have to steal one on the road in order to get the series win. Their best bet to do that may well come in Game 2, as that is when they will have Duncan Keith back from suspension. The Blackhawks were 6 games over .500 on the road this season, so no reason why they can’t sneak one. Chicago are averaging 2.9 GPG, and are giving up 2.5 GPG.

Why bet on the St. Louis Blues to win the series?

With two evenly matched teams going head to head over 7 games, the natural instinct is to give the slight edge to the team with the home ice advantage. That is certainly a good one for a team that went 24-13-4 on home ice during the regular season, but you also shouldn’t count out the ability of this Blue team to win on the road. They were an impressive 25-11-5 on the road this season, so losing one of the opening 2 home games in this series is no indication that they won’t be able to steal the advantage back when they head to Chicago. The Blues are averaging 2.7 GPG, and are giving up 2.4 GPG.

Expert pick and series prediction

Both of these teams are offensive juggernauts, and this figures to be a fast-paced, high-scoring series. If that is indeed the case, then you have to like the team with the best defense, as that unit may just steal a vital game.