The Pittsburgh Penguins head into United Center looking to salvage their disappointing season against a Chicago Blackhawks team mired in a five-game losing streak, with both squads ranking among the worst defensive teams in the NHL, surrendering an average of 3.6 goals per game.
Sidney Crosby continues his elite play with 82 points this season while the Blackhawks' Connor Bedard has managed 59 points despite playing with a weak supporting cast, setting up an intriguing battle between established greatness and emerging talent.
Expect a high-scoring affair when the defensively challenged Blackhawks host a Penguins team that's averaged 3.5 goals in their last ten games.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins prediction: who will win?
For tonight's Chicago Blackhawks vs Pittsburgh Penguins matchup, our predictive model gives the Penguins a 56% chance of defeating the Hawks.
Pre-game probabilities
Pittsburgh Penguins
Moneyline
Win %
56%
44%
Chicago Blackhawks
Pittsburgh Penguins: 56% win probability
- Superior offensive production (227 goals scored compared to Chicago's 206)
- Better overall record (31 wins to Chicago's 21)
- Stronger recent form (WLWLL compared to Chicago's LLLLL streak)
Chicago Blackhawks: 44% win probability
- Poor defensive record (277 goals against, 5th worst in the Western Conference)
- Terrible recent form (on a five-game losing streak)
- League-low position (15th in Western Conference with just 52 points in 76 games)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts.
Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts.
| Chicago Blackhawks | Pittsburgh Penguins | |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline |
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Chicago Blackhawks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins preview
The struggling Chicago Blackhawks, riding a brutal five-game losing streak, host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday evening at the United Center in what could be a high-scoring affair between two defensively challenged teams.
Chicago's defensive woes continue to haunt them, having surrendered five or more goals in four of their last five games despite rookie phenom Connor Bedard and the surprising Ryan Donato providing occasional offensive sparks.
Pittsburgh, though not exactly burning up the standings either, has shown more life lately with Sidney Crosby doing Sidney Crosby things—the veteran center racked up 20 points in March alone and now has 82 on the season.
Both squads have struggled to keep pucks out of their nets, ranking 31st and 32nd in goals against, which explains why oddsmakers have set the over/under at a juicy 6.5 goals.
Spencer Knight will likely man the crease for the Blackhawks against either Alex Nedeljkovic or Tristan Jarry—neither goaltending matchup inspiring much confidence given both teams' defensive struggles.
The Penguins have particularly excelled on the power play, converting at an impressive 24.63% rate this season, which could spell trouble for a Blackhawks team that's dropped nine of their last ten games.
While Chicago offers some value as home underdogs at +110, it's hard to ignore that their recent losses have typically come by multiple goals.
For hockey fans with no dog in this fight, this inter-conference clash promises plenty of lamp-lighting and probably a few defensive lapses that'll have coaches pulling their hair out.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins form
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins head to head
Chicago Blackhawks
50%
Pittsburgh Penguins
50%
Feb 16, 2024
Chicago Blackhawks
1 : 4
Pittsburgh Penguins
Oct 11, 2023
Pittsburgh Penguins
2 : 4
Chicago Blackhawks
Apr 11, 2023
Pittsburgh Penguins
2 : 5
Chicago Blackhawks
Nov 21, 2022
Chicago Blackhawks
3 : 5
Pittsburgh Penguins
Nov 10, 2021
Chicago Blackhawks
3 : 2
Pittsburgh Penguins
Oct 16, 2021
Pittsburgh Penguins
5 : 2
Chicago Blackhawks
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