Winnipeg @ Chicago picks
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WIN vs CHI Covers Picks
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Winnipeg -1.5 (-109)
There is not a single category in which the Chicago Blackhawks have an advantage over the Winnipeg Jets. First, Winnipeg is the superior offensive team. Over the past two months, the Jets rank 13th in expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60). Meanwhile, Chicago ranks last. During that same stretch, Winnipeg ranks first in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60). In that category, the Blackhawks rank 26th. Connor Hellebuyck is now the betting favorite to become the first goaltender to win the Hart Trophy since Carey Price in 2014-15. Through 61 appearances this season, Hellebuyck is 45-12-3 with a .925 save percentage and 1.99 goals-against average. Spencer Knight gets the start across the ice for Chicago. Unsurprisingly, he trails Hellebuyck in each of those three categories.
Kyle Connor Over 0.5 goals (+131)
Kyle Connor scored twice in his last outing against the Dallas Stars to hit the 40-goal mark and snap a four-game scoring drought. The Blackhawks rank second-last in goals against per game (3.88) and third-last in shots against per game (31) since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off. The wheels have really fallen off over the last couple of weeks, as Chicago has surrendered five goals in five of its last eight outings. Connor has been a consistent scoring threat for the Jets, averaging 3.31 shots per game over his last 13 contests and leading the club with 257 shots this season—83 more than his next closest teammate. No Jets skater is more likely to put one in than Connor.
