The Blackhawks had way more talent than they were showing in their mediocre 5-7-4 start to the season. Chicago looks to have turned things around heading into the November 19th NHL betting free pick though with wins in 4 straight games and has momentum hosting Carolina on Tuesday. The Hurricanes have won three straight in their own right though and are listed as -120 favorites at the United Center.
Can Carolina Capture the Road Win?
The Hurricanes have won three in a row with the last two being OT wins at Buffalo and at Minnesota. Those wins have brought the Hurricanes record 5-4-1 going away on the season. The three consecutive victories is impressive, but this is also a Carolina squad that dropped 4 in a row prior.
The Hurricanes do have a victory over Chicago on the season, a 4-0 win on October 26th when Petr Mrazek stopped all 32 Blackhawks shots he faced. Mrazek is again in net for the November 19th NHL betting free pick after getting Carolina’s game Saturday off. Mrazek got the win in his last start on Thursday – but it wasn’t his best outing after allowing 4 goals to the Sabres. Chicago has scored 21 goals total during their 4-game win streak and Mrazek is just 2-2-1 with a 3.53 GAA going away on the season.
Make no mistake, Carolina’s offense is clicking as of late too which is why Tuesday’s total is listed at 6.5. The Hurricanes have wins of 8-2, 5-4, and 4-3 over their last three. Sebastian Aho has 3 goals in the last 3 games and defenseman Joel Edmundson has come alive with 5 points the last 3 games. Teuvo Teraivanen also has 10 points in the last 10 games and is ready for a homecoming against his former squad in Chicago.
Blackhawks Get the Edge as Home Underdogs?
Chicago seems to have value in the November 19th NHL betting free pick considering they are at home and have momentum after winning the last four games. Chicago has found their offense stride posting wins of 5-4, 5-3, 7-2, and 4-1 over that span.
Patrick Kane has absolutely gone maniacal with 17 points in the last 9 games that includes 8 goals in the last 8. He’s found somebody to ease the scoring load as well as rookie Kirby Dach has netted 4 goals in the last 4. Alex Debrincat has 6 points in the last 4 games as Chicago’s offense has climbed to 16th in the league in scoring. That could be huge against a Hurricanes goaltender struggling in road games this season.
Chicago hasn’t had questions on offense lately, it’s been their defense that is the downfall. The Blackhawks are last in the league in SOG against and face Carolina’s top 10 offense on Tuesday. Chicago will continue their flip-flopping goaltender starts which means Robin Lehner is up in the rotation. Lehner was in net Saturday, helping the Blackhawks to a 7-2 win over Nashville that cashed out at +170 on the road. Lehner has won 3 of his last 4 starts while posting a 2.77 GAA and a .934 save percentage over that span.
November 19th NHL Betting Free Pick
The Hurricanes are dominant this year – at home where they are 7-3. On the road Carolina is just 5-4-1 (still impressive) but with a 2.90 goals per game average. Chicago has momentum on their current win streak, which should bring the United Center crowd back to life. Carolina has had the last 2 nights off, but playing in their 3rd straight road game doesn’t help things.
Free Pick: Chicago Blackhawks +100
