With the defending champs looking no worse for wear atop the Atlantic division, we expect the Panthers to make quick work of the bottom-feeding Blackhawks.
NHL
The Florida Panthers host the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday afternoon at Amerant Bank Arena.
The Panthers have played well recently, prevailing in four of their past six games. All four of those wins have come by at least a three-goal margin, and I believe this trend will continue on Saturday in my Blackhawks vs. Panthers predictions.
Find out more in my NHL picks for February 1.
My best bet
Panthers -1.5 (-140 at BetMGM)
My analysis
A big part of the Florida Panthers’ recent success has been the play of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who is confirmed to start between the pipes on Saturday. He’s picked up his play recently, allowing two or fewer goals in each of his past three starts.
Bobrovsky is 3-0 over that stretch, boasting a .951 SV% and 1.33 GAA. Florida has won each of those three games by three or more goals.
This success is likely to continue against the Chicago Blackhawks, a team Bobrovsky is 15-4-1 against over the past 20 meetings with a .917 SV% and 2.48 GAA. It certainly benefits Bobrovsky that the Hawks struggle mightily to generate high-danger scoring chances.
Entering this matchup, the Blackhawks rank last in the league in xGF/60. Their defensive play isn’t much better, as they also rank 28th in xGA/60.
The Panthers sit ninth and seventh, respectively, in those two key categories. With the stronger offense, defense, and goaltender, Florida should have no issues winning by two or more goals for the fifth time over the past two weeks.
Panthers -1.5
Sam Reinhart anytime goalscorer
Matthew Tkachuk anytime goalscorer
There are no better-scoring candidates than Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk, who rank first and second, respectively, on the team in both goals and power-play goals.
They skate together on the first power play unit, which presents a strong opportunity to exploit Chicago’s propensity to take penalties. The Hawks rank 29th in penalty minutes taken per game.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Florida has won four of its past six games, with all four of those wins coming by at least a three-goal margin. Find more NHL betting trends for Blackhawks vs. Panthers.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Tony Sartori has written over 1,000 pieces of sports betting content across multiple different media outlets. He covers the NHL, UFC, PGA, NFL and MLB. Tony started part-time while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he went on to receive a B.A. in Economics and a certificate in Entrepreneurship in 2022. He continues to work full-time in the sports betting landscape.
Due to the variety of sports he covers, Tony is handicapping every day. If he had one piece of betting advice for a new sports bettor, it would be to strictly enforce bankroll management rules for yourself. If you set aside $10,000 for your betting bankroll, then you should generally only be betting between $100 – $500 per play.
If you choose to make use of any information on this website including online sports betting services from any websites that may be featured on this website, we strongly recommend that you carefully check your local laws before doing so.It is your sole responsibility to understand your local laws and observe them strictly.Covers does not provide any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in your relevant locality.Covers disclaims all liability associated with your use of this website and use of any information contained on it.As a condition of using this website, you agree to hold the owner of this website harmless from any claims arising from your use of any services on any third party website that may be featured by Covers.