The Chicago Blackhawks aren’t making the playoffs, but they certainly aren’t playing like it. They come to face the Vegas Golden Knights and close out their three-game trip out west, winning their previous games against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings.
The Golden Knights are still battling for a postseason spot and are coming off a big win at home against the Nashville Predators, 6-1. They are -195 to down the Blackhawks.
Can the heavily-favored Golden Knights win their second consecutive game at home or will the Blackhawks go 3-0 against Pacific Division teams? Find out with our free NHL picks and predictions for Blackhawks vs. Golden Knights.
Blackhawks vs Golden Knights odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
he Golden Knights came out as heavy favorites, opening at -189 and jumping up to as high as -205. The line as come down a bit and settled at -195 to -200 depending on the sportsbook. The total opened at six and hasn’t budged. The over is at -120 and the Under is at even money.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Blackhawks vs Golden Knights predictions
- Prediction: Golden Knights -1.5 (+125)
- Prediction: Over 6 (-120)
- Best bet: Golden Knights -1.5 (+125)
Predictions made on 3/26/2022 at 12:15 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Blackhawks vs Golden Knights game info
• Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
• Date: Saturday, March 26, 2022
• Puck drop: 3:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ABC, ESPN+
Blackhawks vs Golden Knights betting preview
Key injuries
Blackhawks: Tyler Johnson C (Out), Jujhar Khaira F (Out), Connor Murphy D (Out).
Golden Knights: Nicolas Hague D (Out), Brett Howden C (Out), Nolan Patrick C (Questionable), Laurent Brossoit G (Questionable), Max Pacioretty F (Out), Reilly Smith F (Out), Robin Lehner G (Out), Alec Martinez D (Out), Brandon McNabb D (Out), Mark Stone F (Out), Zack Whitecloud D (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Blackhawks vs Golden Knights head-to-head record
Blackhawks: 2-4 SU, 13 goals for.
Golden Knights: 4-2 SU, 16 goals for.
Betting trend to know
Each of the Golden Knights' last three victories has come by two or more goals. Find more NHL betting trends for Blackhawks vs. Golden Knights.
Blackhawks vs Golden Knights picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Puck line analysis
The Blackhawks have been conquering the west so far on a three-game road trip. They beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 on Wednesday and followed that victory up with a 4-3 shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings the next night.
Now with a day’s rest, they are trying to complete the trifecta against the Golden Knights, but are big underdogs at +160 to get the sweep.
Chicago has been winning despite some of the worst-ranked offense in the NHL. They are 25th in goals per game average at 2.6, 31st in shots per game average at 28.6, and 16th on the power play at 20.6%.
Despite the awful team numbers, there are some scorers on this team. Right wing Patrick Kane is 14th in the league in points with 76 points (21 goals, 55 assists), and left wing Alex DeBrincat, who is on the first line with Kane, is tied for sixth in goals with 36. Their center, Dylan Strome has 18 goals and 20 assists. First-line defenseman Seth Jones is third on the team in points with 43.
Finding offense after the first line is the problem. The second line of center Jonathan Toews, left wing Dominik Kubalik, and right wing Taylor Raddysh have a combined 21 goals and 31 assists.
The play of the Golden Knights has been sporadic all season, and a big reason has been because of injuries. Starting goalie Robin Lehner is feared done for the year with what’s being described as a lower-body injury. Mark Stone suffered a back injury and has been on long-term injured reserve for the last month, and Max Pacioretty has missed 33 games this season with a broken foot and wrist injury. He had played the first of March, but suffered an undisclosed injury and the team said he is out for the foreseeable future.
Vegas is also down two key defensemen due to injuries. Zack Whitecloud broke a bone in his foot in February and might miss the playoffs, should Vegas make them. Alec Martinez suffered a facial laceration in November and his return to the lineup is uncertain.
Somehow, the team has managed to stay in the playoff hunt. They are a point behind the Dallas Stars for the second, and final, wildcard spot in the Western Conference, and are just three points behind third-place Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division.
A game like Saturday’s contest against Chicago is almost a must-win for the Golden Knights if they have hopes of going to the postseason. The team currently is 4-0 at home and 20-6 in its last 26 Saturday games.
Prediction: Golden Knights ML (-195)
Over/Under analysis
The Golden Knights like scoring goals, where they rank 14th in the league in goals for per game at 3.09. The team doesn’t have a prolific goal-scorer, but is getting help from their top three lines.
Six Golden Knights players have 10 or more goals, with Jonathan Marchessault leading the team with 25. Chandler Stephenson is tops on the Golden Knights in assists, with 33.
The acquisition of Jack Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres has been a big plus. The forward has played in 16 games since returning from a neck injury and has scored six goals, adding seven assists.
The Blackhawks are all too willing to allow the puck in the back of the net. They rank near the bottom in goals against average, where they are 24th at 3.42. Goaltender Kevin Lankinen took over starting duties when Marc-Andre Fleury was traded to Minnesota a week ago. In 18 games, Lankinen has a GAA of 3.42 and a save percentage of .891.
While Vegas has been abysmal on the road, sporting a 1-7 record in the month of March and scoring just 16 goals, home is where the victories and goals are. The team is 5-1 at T-Mobile Arena, and scored 23 goals in those six games.
The Over went 3-2-1 during that span, and Vegas is 6-2-1 in their last nine games overall.
Prediction: Over 6 (-120)
Best bet
The Blackhawks are a hot hockey team, winning their last two, but the Golden Knights last game might be a sign of things to come. Vegas Coach Pete DeBoer said he thought the 6-1 Nashville victory was one of the best games the team played this season.
Vegas had been in a goal drought prior to that game. It was shut out by both Winnipeg and Minnesota prior to the Nashville game. Before those two losses, however, it defeated the Florida Panthers and Los Angeles Kings at home by two or more goals.
Before the Blackhawks went on the road and took care of the Kings and Ducks, they had four losses, and three of them were by two or more goals. In the last six meetings between the Blackhawks and Golden Knights, Vegas had four victories, and two of those were by two or more goals.
The Blackhawks have had two impressive wins, but one was in a shootout, and the other was against a team that isn’t making the playoffs. Vegas has jumped out to leads in 19 of its last 20 home games. The Knights should do the same against Chicago and cruise to a victory of two or more goals.
Pick: Knights puck line -1.5 (+125)
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