Blackhawks vs Red Wings Prediction, Odds & Picks (March 8): Can Detroit Bounce Back in Motown?

The 2022-23 NHL season continues on Wednesday, March 8 with a lineup that includes a showdown between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. While Chicago doesn’t have much to play for, Detroit desperately needs a win to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Needless to say, tonight’s Blackhawks vs Red Wings tilt is at least a must-win situation for one team.

Red Wings practice, host Chicago Blackhawks Wednesday. Wings winless last six games. pic.twitter.com/8LtqmZ6LAa

— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) March 7, 2023

The Blackhawks are coming off a surprising 5-0 blowout win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. The victory snapped their losing skid at four games as Seth Jones scored twice while Alex Stalock stopped all 35 shots he faced for his second shutout of the campaign.

Meanwhile, the Red Wings’ losing streak was extended to six games with a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers over the weekend. Both scoring and goaltending have been a concern for Detroit lately, meaning a complete turnaround effort is needed tonight.

Tonight’s Blackhawks vs Red Wings showdown also brings some interesting betting options to the table. Here’s a look at BetOnline Sportsbook’s latest odds for the game, as well as a prediction and the best bet to make, courtesy of Betting News.

Chicago Blackhawks vs Detroit Red Wings Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Chicago Blackhawks (22-36-5, 9-18-2 Away) vs. Detroit Red Wings (28-26-9, 15-12-4 Home)
• Venue & Location: Little Bovada Arena (Detroit, Michigan)
• Date: Wednesday, March 8, 2023
• Game Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
• Blackhawks vs Red Wings TV Info: TNT

Blackhawks vs Red Wings Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Wednesday, March 8 at 8:33 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Chicago Blackhawks +1.5 (-125)
• Detroit Red Wings -1.5 (+104)

Over/Under

• Over 5.5 Goals (-130)
• Under 5.5 Goals (+106)

Moneyline

• Chicago Blackhawks +202
• Detroit Red Wings -250

Blackhawks vs Red Wings Betting Trends

• Chicago is 6-13 straight up in its last 19 road games.
• Detroit is 0-7 straight up in its last seven games played in March.
• The total has hit the over in four of Chicago’s last six games against the Atlantic Division.
• The total has hit the under in six of Detroit’s last nine games.
• The total has hit the over in five of the last seven Chicago-Detroit matchups.

Red Wings Must Win to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

The Red Wings only have 19 games left on their schedule, meaning their losing skid couldn’t have come at a worse time. They’re currently five points back of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, so they can’t exactly afford to continue their losing ways.

If the Red Wings are to beat the Blackhawks, they need a better effort across the ice. When it comes to offense, Detroit only has nine goals over the last six games. It doesn’t help that the power-play unit has also been terrible, converting on just 2-of-24 (8.3%) opportunities over that stretch.

In their own end, the Red Wings have surrendered 27 goals during their skid (4.5 goals-per-game average). Goaltender Ville Husso has made four starts during his team’s losing streak, tallying a 3.72 goals-against average and .872 save percentage along the way.

The lack of consistent goaltending has allowed the Red Wings’ last six opponents to score six times on 24 power-play opportunities. Having said that, there is good news for Detroit. Chicago owns the fourth-worst PP unit this season (16.9%), so a turnaround is certainly possible.

We hear from coach Derek Lalonde after the Red Wings' winless streak reaches six. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/M6hnc72yTe

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) March 6, 2023

It’s going to be interesting to see if the Blackhawks can capitalize on their recent momentum. Their 5-0 win over the Senators was quite the surprise, but it’s worth pointing out that they’ve struggled to win on the road this season.

Chicago has tasted defeat in six of its last nine road games, losing the last two by a combined score of 8-3. Furthermore, the Blackhawks are only 3-7-1 in away games against Eastern Conference teams this season, whereas the Red Wings are 8-2-2 at home when it comes to Western Conference foes.

It’s also worth pointing out that the Blackhawks lost four straight games before their latest win. They allowed four-plus goals in three of those losses, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the shutout victory was a fluke.

Despite Stalock’s shutout, Daily Faceoff points to Petr Mrazek as Chicago’s starting goaltender. That’s good news for Detroit considering that Mrazek has lost nine of his last 12 starts, recording a 3.41 GAA and .902 SV% along the way.

Blackhawks vs Red Wings Prediction and Picks

Blackhawks vs Red Wings Prediction: Red Wings 5, Blackhawks 3

Blackhawks vs Red Wings Picks: Red Wings -1.5 (Best Value: +104 at BetOnline) & Over 5.5 Goals (Best Value: -130 at BetOnline)

Although they haven’t had much recent success, I’m going with a Red Wings bounce-back win tonight. They desperately need the victory to stay in the playoff race, whereas the Blackhawks don’t have anything to play for. Support from the Little Bovada Arena crowd will give Detroit the boost it needs to stop the bleeding (at least temporarily).

I also predict that this game will see more than 5.5 goals. As mentioned earlier, the Red Wings have been allowing a lot of goals lately while the Blackhawks’ goaltending isn’t exactly impenetrable. If that isn’t convincing enough, five of the last seven Blackhawks vs Red Wings tilts have gone over 5.5 goals — including each of the last three.

Other Blackhawks vs Red Wings Betting Resources

• Blackhawks vs Red Wings Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats

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