Chicago Blackhawks - Minnesota Wild predictions and free betting tips [07/04/2024]

The Chicago Blackhawks are set to host the Minnesota Wild today in a regular NHL season match.

Chicago Blackhawks

So far this year, the Chicago Blackhawks are showing the score 23-48-5. Their recent encounter with Dallas ended with their victory at 3:2, where Chicago scored the first 3 goals, maintaining the advantage throughout the match. Despite the team being outshot 17:44, it managed to utilise 1 of 2 chances on the power play. Ahead of the victory over Dallas, the Blackhawks lost to the New York Islanders with a score of 1:2, yet later pulled through with a victory over Philadelphia. Averaging 2.20 goals per game, Chicago allows 3.48 goals, with a power play effectiveness at 16.2% and penalty kill at 77.4%.

The team's leader is Connor Bedard with 22 goals, 37 assists, and 198 shots on goal. In goal, Arvid Soderblom is showing a save percentage of 88% and a GAA of 3.90 this season. Season's been tough for Chicago due to personnel changes and frequent injuries. However, the gradual return of players from injury played a significant role, leading to noticeable improvement in the results. Under the leadership of Derek King, the team shows decent results in the final stretch of the season with 8-6 out of the last 14 matches.

Minnesota Wild

With the current statistic of 36-30-9 and 81 points, the Minnesota Wild has lost nearly all hopes of making the Stanley Cup playoffs. The team is struggling, having lost 5 of its last 6 matches. This downturn continued with losses to Winnipeg Jets with a score of 2:4 and Colorado Avalanche with a score of 2:5, exacerbating their position in the playoff race, trailing by 12 points to Nashville, ranking 10th place in the Western Conference.

Coach John Hynes emphasizes the need to keep on fighting despite significant lag. In their last game against the Winnipeg Jets, forward Vladislav Namestnikov made 1:2, while Wild's Kirill Kaprizov scored a brace again, who stands out in the team with 86 points, including 39 goals and 47 assists so far. He is supported by Mats Zuccarello with 57 points, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Matt Boldy. Goalkeepers Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury have been unstable in goal, but Wild's main problems have been in defense. Perhaps, the starting goalie will be the Swedish newcomer Jesper Wallstedt.

Head-To-Head

Minnesota Wild continues to showcase their dominance over the Chicago Blackhawks with 13 straight wins. Their last victory took place on February 8, with a score of 2-1. This win followed a series of successful encounters including a game on 3 December 2023, where Minnesota won with a score of 4-1, and two matches in October of the same year—on October 6, they claimed a 3-2 shootout victory and on October 1, they took a 3-2 overtime win. The teams' last showdown in the 2022-2023 season ended on April 11, with Minnesota again winning 4-2, further cementing their dominance over Chicago.

Prediction for the match Chicago Blackhawks - Minnesota Wild

Despite everything, Minnesota turns out to be stronger throughout the NHL regular season. Considering the Wild's 13 wins in a row in personal confrontations, I expect a victory for the guests. Both clubs lack motivation in the end of the season.