Blackhawks vs Avalanche Betting Odds: Betting on Bedard Against the Best?
Bedard’s Intro to NHL Stays on Hard Mode
Avalanche Heavily Favored Against Blackhawks
Connor Bedard and his Chicago Blackhawks face their toughest test yet: a road game against the 2022 Stanley Cup champions: the Colorado Avalanche. The Blackhawks vs Avalanche betting odds peg Chicago as +285 underdogs, which is the longest on this packed Thursday evening. But already with two wins as underdogs, Chicago may be underestimated. But Colorado has just been a tier above everyone when close to full strength.
Blackhawks vs Avalanche 
Day/Time:
Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Records: Chicago Blackhawks (2-2-0), Colorado Avalanche (3-0-0)
Streaming: ESPN
Blackhawks are Achieving Despite Tough Schedule
Four games into the 2023-24 NHL season and the Blackhawks are already one of the league’s most profitable teams. Chicago has always been an underdog, so a $100 wager on each of their moneylines would have yielded a profit of $290 now. The Blackhawks upset Pittsburgh and most recently, Toronto. And Bedard did not even score a point in the latter.
Statistically, Chicago is a subpar NHL team as the early odds expected. The Blackhawks have typically been out-chanced and out-possessed. Heroes like Arvid Soderblom have stepped up as he almost shut out the Leafs in their building.
“Sody tonight was remarkable, especially at the end of the game,” Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said. “That’s a dangerous team down low, big bodies. But he’s a big body and he’s very solid on the post. He came up really big for us. I’m glad we got the goal support for him to get the win.”
But Chicago won’t have too much time to celebrate its upset. The NHL schedule remains hard for Chicago as it now faces Colorado. At the Blackhawks vs Avalanche betting odds, this is the longest they will be as underdogs. Chicago has lost six of its last seven matchups against Colorado. It averaged two goals per game in this span and has been shut out twice. Colorado, on the other hand, averaged double that at four. All but one of Colorado’s victories covered its puck line.
And all those games came against the old guard of the Blackhawks. This is a new squad and a younger one, hence why it has been able to hold up on this five-game road trip to start the season.
Making Money is Tough With Colorado
It’s a myth that the Avalanche is tough to beat at home. Don’t tell that to the folks perusing the Blackhawks vs Avalanche betting odds. That’s mainly done because Colorado has the seventh-most wins at home since 2021-22 and has the second-most wins in general.
Colorado has the seventh-best point percentage at home during that span. And that’s pretty good. Yet compared to having the second-best point percentage on the road, you can make the case that Colorado is not as invincible at home.
The Avalanche average over 3.7 goals per game at home during this span. But it also gives up over 2.6 and its 79.6% penalty kill is just average. And as far as goalkeepers go, Alexandar Georgiev is solid but beatable. His stats at home are not much better than his stats on the road: a 91.9% save percentage versus 91.7%.
Still, it’s Colorado. It’s one of four unbeaten teams left this season and its +9 goal differential leads the NHL. The Avalanche have allowed five total goals, hence why the total of 6.5 here is juiced to go ‘under’. Squares will still blindly throw them in NHL picks and parlays without so much as glancing at the lines (-325).
It is daunting to bet against Colorado. This team is a juggernaut, especially when it has a nearly healthy team. Other than captain Gabriel Landeskog, the Avalanche have its core players available. It also signed NHL free agents already paying dividends, like Jonathan Drouin.
Most importantly, its defensemen are a tier above everyone, especially Chicago’s. But be wary of betting on the chalk at these prices.
For NHL betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
