The Chicago Blackhawks (11-24-2) travel to face off against the New York Rangers (25-10-1) on Thursday, January 4th. This game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York. Both the Blackhawks and Rangers will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 ET.

Chicago Blackhawks vs New York Rangers

The Chicago Blackhawks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In their 37 games, the Blackhawks have a 11-24-2 record this season. While playing at their home arena, they have a 7-9-1 record, and their record on the road is 4-15-1. 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 20 games by multiple goals. Their overall puck line record is 17-20 this season.

Coming off a 3-0 loss on the road to the Predators, the Blackhawks are hoping to bounce back today. In this game, Chicago’s offense had a challenging time against the Predators and failed to score. During the game, the Blackhawks’ offense had 10 turnovers and took 21 shots on goal while being shutout.

Entering the game as the underdog, Chicago not only suffered a straight-up loss but also failed to cover the puck line. The over/under line for the game was 6.5, and it concluded with a combined total of 3 goals.

The New York Rangers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

As they head into their game vs. the Blackhawks, the Rangers have a 25-10-1 record thus far. While playing at home, their record stands at 12-5-0, and they have 13-5-1 mark on the road. Their current record places them 1st in the Eastern Metropolitan division and 2nd in the Eastern conference. New York heads into the game with 14 wins by more than one goal, and lost eight games by multiple goals. Their overall puck line record this season is 18-18.

After suffering a 6-1 loss at home to the Hurricanes, the Rangers are looking to bounce back today. In terms of offense, the Rangers faced a dry spell in the first and third periods against the Hurricanes, but they managed to score one time in the second period. New York’s’s lone goal during the game occurred at even strength. They ended with 29 shots on goal in total.

New York was favored by -1.5 giving them a loss vs. the puck line. The over/under line going into the game was 6 goals, which the teams surpassed with their combined 7 goals.

Chicago Offense Breakdown

In terms of their offensive performance, the Blackhawks are averaging 2.4 goals per game this season, putting them in the 30th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 30th in the league. Coming into the game, the Blackhawks have 1-6 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 10-16.

The Blackhawks come in with an over/under record of 16-19-2. Over the course of the season, they have had 21 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 York Offense Breakdown

For their offensive performance, the Rangers come in averaging 3.4 goals per game this season, which is 12th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 20th in the league. This season, the Rangers are 18-6 when getting more shots on goal than their opponents. And in games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 7-3 record.

This season, the Rangers’ have an over/under record of 18-15-3. Throughout the season, they have played 19 games that did not exceed the 6.5 over/under line. On average, their games are averaging 6.2 goals per game.

Chicago Team Defense

The Blackhawks defense is currently 5th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 33.1 shots per game against Chicago. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 21st with 1 shutouts.

New York Team Defense

In terms of defense, the Rangers head into the game ranked 24th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.6 shots per game against New York. So far, they are 17th in shutouts, achieving 2 shutouts.

Blackhawks vs Rangers Trends

• Through their last ten road games, Chicago has an puck line record of just 1-9. However, their overall record was 0-10 while averaging 1 goals per game.
• Across their last five home contests, New York has been good against the puck line posting a mark of 4-1. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 3 goals per game.
• The last ten games that New York was the underdog, they have an puck line mark of 7-3 while going 5-5 straight up.
• The last five games that Chicago was favored, they have an puck line mark of 2-3 while going 2-3 straight up.

Blackhawks vs Rangers Prediction

If you’re considering a direct moneyline bet, the Rangers is the choice to make. However, with a payout of -399, you might want to use this bet as a building block for a parlay.

When it comes to my suggested pick for the puck line, I’d advise taking the Blackhawks to cover. Even in the event of a Rangers victory, this matchup is likely to remain closely contested, and the Blackhawks should cover the puck line.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6.5 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet 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.