Calgary Flames vs Chicago Blackhawks Betting Picks

The Flames owned the Hawks, sweeping the season series 3-0 last year. Chicago got some payback, 4-0, when these teams met on Nov. 4, and now the Flames get their chance for revenge. Calgary will roll with Dustin Wolf between the pipes, and Wolf is not having the kind of start he'd hoped for after finishing second in Calder voting last year. Wolf is 5-10-2 with a 3.01 goals-against average with an .896 save percentage, but he's 3-2-1 in his past six with a .925 GAA. The Hawks are 4-0-1 in their past five, with Spencer Knight in net for three of the wins. They'll give Arvid Soderblom his turn tonight, and the fourth-year Swede is 1-2 against the West, posting a 2.74 GAA and .887 SVP. He has a career 3.50 GAA and can expect a heavy onslaught from this disgruntled Flames group, who have fired an average of 35 shots on goal in their past five outings. Five of the past six meetings at Chicago have gone OVER, and the Blackhawks have scored 20 goals in five games, getting contributions from some of their younger players. Calgary is 22-9 as a favorite the past two seasons, and I'm looking for them to come out on top of what could be some madness on Madison tonight. Take the Flames to win, and bet this game OVER. 

It's the fifth straight road game for Chicago, on a six-game trek. The offense has cooled off, scoring 11 goals in the last four games. The offense is 17th on the power play, while the defense keeps them in games, ranked eighth in goals allowed (2.79 per game) and sixth in save percentage (.910). Calgary's dreadful offense is 31st in goals scored, 29th on the power play, and 31st in shooting percentage. The defense is ranked 11th in save percentage (.903). Take Chicago/Calgary UNDER the total.

Calgary has beaten the Blackhawks twice this season, including 6-4 on Dec. 21. The Flames have won two in a row following a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles on Saturday when Dustin Wolf stopped 31 of 32 shots. Chicago has lost two straight and eight of 10, and the Blackhawks have lost five of six against Pacific Division opponents. Wolf is likely to start tonight for Calgary, and he is 14-6-2 with a 2.53 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage with two shutouts this season. The Flames have won five of his past six starts, and he has allowed only eight goals in his past five games. Petr Mrazek is confirmed for Chicago, and he is 8-15-1 with a 3.31 GAA. Mrazek has allowed 20 goals in his past five appearances. Take the Flames.

Calgary's playoff hopes are hanging by a thread and the Flames cannot afford many more losses and they get a chance to snap a three-game slide at Chicago where they have won six of the past eight meetings. The Blackhawks have the second-worst record in the NHL even while managing to split their past 10 games. Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek is 16-26-4 with a 3.11 goals-against average. Jacob Markstrom is 22-18-2 with a 2.69 goals-against average and he has won five of his past eight starts. The Blackhawks have lost 22 of 36 at home and they have allowed 14 goals their past three games although they did get a 5-4 overtime win at San Jose on Saturday after losing the first two of a three-game West Coast swing. Take the Flames as a Max Play.