The Chicago Blackhawks (9-17-2) travel to face off against the New York Islanders (11-12-7) on Thursday, December 12th. This game will be played at UBS Arena in Elmont and televised on ESPN+. The Blackhawks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Islanders are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rangers. Puck drop is set for 7:30 ET.

Blackhawks vs Islanders

The Chicago Blackhawks Are Coming Off A Win

Chicago improved to 9-17-2 with a 4-2 road win over the Ducks. The Blackhawks, as underdogs on the puck line, covered the +1.5 goal spread. The total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined 6 goals fell just short.

All four of Chicago’s goals came from different players, and they held Anaheim scoreless until the third period. Isaak Phillips opened the scoring at 7:03 in the first period.

The New York Islanders Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

With a 5-2 loss to the Rangers, the Islanders fell to 11-12-7 on the season. The Islanders were underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.

After falling behind 2-0, Casey Cizikas got the Islanders on the board at 15:22 in the second period. Brock Nelson added another goal with just 8 seconds left in the second, bringing the Islanders within one, but the Rangers pulled away with two more goals in the third.

Chicago Offense Breakdown

Chicago’s offense fired 29 shots on goal in their 4-2 win over Anaheim. Ryan Donato netted his 7th goal of the season, while Seth Jones added his 2nd. Isaak Phillips scored for the first time this year, and Teuvo Teravainen picked up his 4th goal.

Two of the Blackhawks’ goals came on power plays, with Connor Bedard earning assists on both. Bedard now has 9 assists this season. Chicago’s 4 goals came from 4 different players, with 12 giveaways on the night.

Islanders Offense Breakdown

In their 5-2 loss to the Rangers, the Islanders took 37 shots on goal but only found the net twice. Casey Cizikas scored his first goal of the season, while Brock Nelson added his fifth, with just 8 seconds left in the second period.

New York had 23 giveaways and failed to convert on any of their power play opportunities. Pierre Engvall recorded his first assist of the season on Cizikas’ goal, while Simon Holmstrom, Kyle Palmieri, and Anders Lee also picked up assists.

Chicago Team Defense

Arvid Söderblom made 38 saves with a 95% save percentage in the Blackhawks’ previous game, a 4-2 win over the Ducks. Defensively, Chicago finished with 6 takeaways and 5 hits. The Blackhawks had a 4-1 lead late in the 3rd period, but they gave up a power-play goal with just 4 seconds remaining.

New York Team Defense

The Islanders’ defense allowed the first goal just 3:44 into the game and gave up two more in the third period, including an empty-netter. Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves with an 89.7% save percentage, while the defense recorded 12 takeaways and 17 hits.

Blackhawks vs Islanders Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Chicago has an puck line mark of 5-5. Their straight up record in these matchups was 3-7 while averaging 2 goals per game.
• Across the Islanders last three home games, the team averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 3. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 1-2, while going 1-2 straight-up.
• In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Islanders have a straight up record of 2-3 and an puck line mark of 4-1.
• Through their last five matchups as the betting favorite, the Blackhawks have a good straight up record, but their puck line mark is just 2-3.

Blackhawks vs Islanders Prediction

If you’re looking for a straight moneyline bet, then the Islanders are the way to go. However, with a payout of -188, you might consider using this bet as a leg of a parlay.

If you’re looking for my recommendation on the puck line, I suggest taking the Blackhawks to cover. Even if the Islanders manage to win outright, this game is expected to remain competitive, and the Blackhawks should cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 5.5 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.