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Chicago Blackhawks vs. Anaheim Ducks Betting Preview 12/5/18

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and the Chicago Blackhawks will face off against Ryan Getzlaf, Rickard Rakell, and the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center for a Western Conference showdown. The action gets underway at 10:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 5, and it’s being shown live on NBC Sports Network.

Chicago Blackhawks at Anaheim Ducks Odds

With a moneyline of -150, Anaheim enters the contest as the substantial favorite. The line for the Blackhawks sits at +130 and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals (-110 for the over, -110 for the under).

Anaheim is 14-15 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 1.8 units this season. That winning percentage, the third-best in the Pacific Division in this young season, is a regression from the 44-38 record that the team posted during the 2017-18 season campaign. Out of the team’s 29 regular season matches, 18 of them have gone under the total, while 10 have gone over and just one has pushed. The team is 7-8 SU at home this season.

The Ducks have converted on 17.1 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 14th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 80.0 percent of all penalties.

With a .927 save percentage and 30.7 saves per game, John Gibson (11-12-4) has been the most dependable goalkeeper for Anaheim this year. If Anaheim decides to give him the evening off, however, the team may roll with Ryan Miller (4-5-5 record, .929 save percentage, 2.47 goals against average).

Chicago has lost 10.3 units for bettors taking the moneyline thus far and is currently 9-19 straight up (SU). Through 28 regular season contests, 14 of its games have gone over the total, while 12 have gone under the total and just two have pushed. The Blackhawks are 4-11 SU as the visiting team this season.

The Blackhawks have converted on just 12.5 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that’s ranked 31st in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 30th overall and it’s successfully defended 73.2 percent of all opponent power plays.

Corey Crawford (28.4 saves per game) has been the primary option in the net for Chicago. Crawford owns a 5-12-1 record, and has registered a .903 save percentage and 3.17 goals against average this year.

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Anaheim Ducks Betting Picks

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Notes

Betting Notes

Over Chicago’s last ten games, five of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 1-4 in those games).

The Blackhawks are 2-7 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 6-14 in games where they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 minutes, total.

Anaheim might hold the upper hand if this one comes down to the wire. The team’s 11-6 in games decided by one goal, while Chicago is 5-8 in such games.

The total has gone over in four of Chicago’s last five outings.

Chicago skaters have averaged 7.0 giveaways over its last five home games, an improvement from its season average of 7.8 giveaways per game (the eighth-fewest in the league).

Anaheim has averaged 14.6 giveaways over its last five home games, a rise over its season average of 10.4 giveaways per game (ranked 19th in the league).

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Written by GMS Previews

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