The Colorado Avalanche (25-15-1) travel to face off against the Chicago Blackhawks (13-25-2) on Wednesday, January 8th. This game will be played at United Center in Chicago and televised on TNT. The Blackhawks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Avalanche are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Predators. Puck drop is set for 7:30 ET.

Avalanche vs Blackhawks

The Colorado Avalanche Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

With a 5-2 loss to the Predators, the Avalanche now stand at 25-15-1 this season. Colorado initially took the lead, but Nashville responded with five unanswered goals. The Avalanche were underdogs on the puck line, and the total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, with the combined score reaching 7.

Cale Makar put the Avalanche on the board first, scoring at 17:06 in the second period. However, the Predators tied it up just 5:37 later and went on to score three more times, including two empty-net goals in the third period.

The Chicago Blackhawks Are Coming Off A Win

Chicago improved to 13-25-2 with a 4-2 road win over the Ducks. The Blackhawks covered the puck line as underdogs, and the total of 6 goals fell short of the 6.5 set by oddsmakers.

Four different players scored for Chicago, who led 3-0 before the Ducks got on the board. The Blackhawks’ defense held Anaheim scoreless until 10:16 in the third period.

Colorado Offense Breakdown

Cale Makar got the Avalanche on the board with his 5th goal of the season, which came on a power play. Nathan MacKinnon added a late goal in the third period, his 6th of the year. MacKinnon also picked up his 14th assist on Makar’s goal, while Makar earned his 16th assist on MacKinnon’s goal.

The Avalanche fired 30 shots on goal but were only able to convert twice. They struggled with giveaways, committing 23 in the game.

Blackhawks Offense Breakdown

Chicago’s offense found the net four times in their 4-2 win over Anaheim, with Ryan Donato scoring his 7th goal of the season. Seth Jones added his 2nd goal, while Teuvo Teravainen netted his 4th. Isaak Phillips opened the scoring for the Blackhawks, marking his 1st goal of the season.

Chicago took 29 shots on goal and scored twice on power plays. Connor Bedard contributed with two assists, bringing his season total to 9. The Blackhawks had 12 giveaways in the game.

Colorado Team Defense

Defensively, the Avalanche will look to bounce back after allowing 5 goals to the Predators. Justus Annunen made 21 saves with a save percentage of 87.5%. The defense also recorded 11 takeaways and 26 hits. Colorado took a 1-0 lead at 17:06 in the 2nd period, but they gave up 5 of the game’s final 6 goals, including two empty-netters.

Chicago Team Defense

Arvid Söderblom made 38 saves with a 95% save percentage, helping the Blackhawks to a 4-2 win over the Ducks. Chicago’s defense added 6 takeaways and 5 hits. Both goals they allowed came in the 3rd period, including one with just 4 seconds left.

Avalanche vs Blackhawks Trends

• Although Colorado has a straight up record of 7-3 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 5-5. The team averaged 3 goals per game in these games.
• Across their five previous home games, Chicago has an puck line mark of 2-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 2-3 while averaging 2 goals per game.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Blackhawks have a straight up record of 4-6. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 5-5.
• As the betting favorite, the Avalanche have an puck line mark of just 7-3 in their last ten games. Colorado posted a straight up mark of 8-2 in these matchups.

Avalanche vs Blackhawks Prediction

When making a moneyline pick, my choice is the Blackhawks to come out with a win against the Avalanche while playing at home. Considering the moneyline odds at +214, I’m placing my bet on the Blackhawks to win outright.

If you’re looking to get a bet down on this matchup, we foresee the Blackhawks winning the underdog. However, if you’re not as confident in the Blackhawks straight-up, we’d still recommend placing a bet on them to cover the puck line.

With an over/under line sitting at 6.5 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.