The Chicago Blackhawks (11-25-2) travel to face off against the New Jersey Devils (20-14-2) on Friday, January 5th. This game will be played at Prudential Center in Newark. The Devils are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Blackhawks are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rangers. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Chicago Blackhawks vs New Jersey Devils

The Chicago Blackhawks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In today’s game, the Blackhawks will be looking to break out of a three game losing streak. Currently, their record is 11-25-2 which comprises of going 7-9-1 at home and 4-16-1 on the road. This record has them sitting 8th in the Western Central division and 15th in the Western conference. Chicago has five wins by more than one goals and dropped 21 games by multiple goals. Their overall puck line record is 17-21 this season.

Following a 4-1 loss on the road to the Rangers, the Blackhawks are eager to bounce back. The Blackhawks couldn’t find the net offensively in the first or third periods against the Rangers, but they did score one time in the second period. Against New York, Chicago’s offense scored their only goal at even strength. They recorded 22 shots on goal overall.

Coming in as the underdog, Chicago not only lost straight-up but also failed to cover the puck line. With a combined total of 5 goals, the game concluded below the over/under line of 6.5.

The New Jersey Devils Are Coming Off A Win

This season, the Devils have put together an overall record of 20-14-2. When playing on the road, New Jersey has gone 12-6-0, while their home record stands at 8-8-2. In the Eastern Metropolitan division, they are currently 5th, and in the Eastern conference, they come into the game sitting 9th. New Jersey’s average scoring margin this season is .0 leading to an overall puck line record of 10-26. Their scoring margin at home is -0.4 and +.4 on the road.

The Devils recently played against the Capitals and secured a win with a score of 6-3. Offensively, the Devils’ offense scored in each period against the Capitals. Of New Jersey’s six goals, one were scored while in power play situations. Their game ended with 28 shots on goal and 11 giveaways.

New Jersey came in as the favorites with a -1.5 goal advantage and, as a result, recorded a win against the puck line. The combined total of 9 goals exceeded the over/under line, which was set at 6.5 goals for the game.

Chicago Offense Breakdown

On offense, the Blackhawks are averaging 2.3 goals per game which is 30th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 30th in the league. The Chicago offense is ranked 28th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they find themselves at 22nd in the NHL.

The Blackhawks come in with an over/under record of 16-20-2. Over the course of the season, they have had 22 games failing to surpass the 6.5 goal over/under line. The average number of goals in their games is at 6.1 per game.

New Jersey Offense Breakdown

For their offensive performance, the Devils come in averaging 3.5 goals per game this season, which is 7th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 18th in the league. Looking at how the Devils’ offense is performing during power plays, they are 6th in power play goals and 26th in shorthanded goals.

The Devils come in with an over/under record of 23-12-1. Over the season, there have been 24 games that have surpassed the 6.5 over/under line. Their games, on average, are at 7.1 goals per game.

Chicago Team Defense

The Blackhawks defense is currently 6th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 33 shots per game against Chicago. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 21st with 1 shutouts.

New Jersey Team Defense

Entering the game, the Devils’ defense ranks 13th in takeaways, averaging 7.2 takeaways per contest. In the NHL, they currently stand at 29th in terms of goals allowed, giving up an average of 3.2 goals per game.

Blackhawks vs Devils Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Chicago has an puck line mark of 1-9. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-10 while averaging 1 goals per game.
• Across their last three home contests, New Jersey has been good against the puck line posting a mark of 2-1. Their overall mark in these games was 2-1, while averaging 4 goals per game.
• The last three games that New Jersey was the underdog, they have an puck line mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.
• Going back to their last five games as the favorite, the Blackhawks have a straight up record of 2-3. But, their mark vs the puck line was just 2-3.

Blackhawks vs Devils Prediction

To those searching for a pure moneyline wager, the Devils is the clear pick. Still, with a payout of -373, it’s worth thinking about including this bet in a parlay.

My recommended pick for the puck line is to take the Blackhawks to cover. Even if the Devils win straight-up, this one should be close throughout and the Blackhawks should cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6.5 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.