The Chicago Blackhawks will visit the Pittsburgh Penguins for a Thursday night contest in the NHL. This matchup from PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh features one of the greatest stars in the history of the NHL against one of the league's brightest young talents in a game between two teams moving in opposite directions. Here, I take a closer look at this matchup and make my Blackhawks vs Penguins prediction before game night.
Our Blackhawks vs Penguins Pick
Under 6.5 ATS PRO
Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
Matchup: Chicago Blackhawks vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Recent form
Pittsburgh went 4-0 across its Western swing and sits 26-14-11, moving up to second in the Metropolitan Division with a 3.29 goals per game clip and 2.84 goals against.
Chicago enters 21-23-9 with 2.66 goals per game and one of the league’s lowest shot rates at 25.1 per game. Chicago has allowed 3.08 goals per game on the season and they will try to snap a three-game losing streak here.
The last head-to-head matchup between these teams was on December 28 and ended 7-3 in favor of the Penguins in Chicago.
Goaltending
The Penguins have leaned on Stuart Skinner, who comes into this game with a save percentage of .896. Arturs Silovs has also seen work and provides a steady second option with a 3.00 GAA.
The Blackhawks will likely go with Spencer Knight in goal. Knight enters this game with a .910 save percentage and a 15-14-7 record on the year.
Key skaters
Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby sits at 57 points with 27 goals and 30 assists, still driving the top unit. Evgeni Malkin has climbed into the 40-point range despite missed time and he is listed as day-to-day for this contest.
Chicago: Connor Bedard leads the Blackhawks with 49 points and remains their primary offensive creator. Tyler Bertuzzi leads the team with 25 goals, giving Bedard a true finisher beside him.
Special teams: The Penguins' power play has converted at 27.4% this season and looks dangerous with Crosby, Malkin, and Erik Karlsson working back toward full rhythm as a group. Chicago counters with an excellent penalty kill rate of 85.5% that can keep them in games even when pinned in their defensive zone.
Betting Trends
The Penguins have covered the puck line in 10 of their last 15 games and have been profitable in first-period markets across the same span.
The Blackhawks have skewed under the total on the season, with a 22-30 over/under record on the year.
Blackhawks vs Penguins Model Projection
Score Projection: Chicago 2 – Pittsburgh 4
Win Probability: Chicago 38%, Pittsburgh 62%
Final Thoughts
My best bet for this inter-conference matchup in the NHL is for the game to stay under the total of 6.5 goals. The Blackhawks have seen 57.7% of their games stay under their totals this season and they should see another game stay under the total here, with both teams killing over 80% of their penalties without any damage this season.
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