| MATCHUP | Tampa Bay Lightning | Chicago Blackhawks |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 31-13-4 | 21-22-7 |
| Spread | -1.5 105 | +1.5 -125 |
| Moneyline | -265 | +215 |
| Total | Over 5.5 (-142) | Under 5.5 (120) |
| Where | United Center, Chicago, IL | |
| When | Friday, January 23, 2026 | |
| Time | 07:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN | |
Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Preview
The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Stars and Sharks, and they play the Blue Jackets next. The Lightning have won 13 of their last 14 games.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are averaging 3.5 goals per game and are scoring on 20.7 percent of their power play opportunities. Brandon Hagel leads Tampa Bay with 25 goals, Nikita Kucherov has 49 assists, and Jake Guentzel has 128 shots on goal. Defensively, the Tampa Bay Lightning are allowing 2.48 goals per game and are killing 84.2 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Andrei Vasilevskiy has allowed 67 goals on 795 shots faced, while Jonas Johansson has given up 47 goals on 454 shots.
Chicago Blackhawks Betting Preview
The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Jets and Hurricanes, and they play the Panthers next. The Blackhawks have split their last 8 games.
The Chicago Blackhawks are averaging 2.72 goals per game and are scoring 21.4 percent of their power play opportunities. Tyler Bertuzzi leads Chicago with 24 goals, Connor Bedard has 28 assists and Ryan Donato has 81 shots on goal. Defensively, the Chicago Blackhawks are allowing 3.08 goals per game and are killing 85.1 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Spencer Knight has given up 86 goals on 986 shots faced, and Arvid Soderblom has allowed 57 goals on 431 shots.
Why the Chicago Blackhawks will win
- The Blackhawks have won five of their last six games as home underdogs after coming off a shootout.
- The Lightning have lost two of their last three games as favorites against opponents on a winning streak.
- The Blackhawks have covered the puck line in nine of their last 10 home games after coming off overtime.
- The Lightning have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last five Friday night games.
- The Lightning have lost the first period in three of their last four night games at United Center.
Why the Tampa Bay Lightning will win
- The Lightning have won each of their last 12 games as road favorites following a home win.
- The Blackhawks have lost each of their last five night games against Atlantic Division opponents.
- The Lightning have covered the puck line in each of their last six games as road favorites against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- The Blackhawks have failed to cover the puck line in five of their last six games as underdogs against Atlantic Division opponents.
- The Lightning have won the second period in seven of their last eight games as favorites against Western Conference opponents when tied after the first period.
Total Goals Facts
- Eight of the Lightning’s last nine games against Central Division opponents have gone UNDER the total goals line.
- Seven of the Blackhawks’ last eight games at United Center against opponents on a winning streak have gone OVER the total goals line.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in eight of the Blackhawks’ last nine games as underdogs against Atlantic Division opponents.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1’ market has hit in six of the Lightning’s last seven games following a home win.
Chicago Blackhawks Player Prop Facts
- Tyler Bertuzzi has scored at least one goal in each of the Blackhawks’ last three games on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- Connor Bedard has recorded at least one assist in each of his last six appearances on the second leg of a back-to-back.
Tampa Bay Lightning Player Prop Facts
- Brayden Point has scored at least one goal in four of his last five appearances in road games.
- Nikita Kucherov has recorded at least one assist in 14 of the Lightning’s last 15 games as favorites against Central Division opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Chicago Blackhawks rank 31st in the league for shots per game this season (25.1).
- The Chicago Blackhawks rank 29th in the league for Period 1 goals scored per game this season (0.68).
- The Tampa Bay Lightning are one of only two teams in the league to rank top 5 for both goals for and goals against per game this season.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning rank 3rd in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (84.21%).
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Chicago Blackhawks Prediction
The Blackhawks have been able to scratch out wins lately and are fresh off a monster upset over the Hurricanes, so they’re worth a look in the huge underdog role. However, the Blackhawks are on the end of a back to back with a game that included overtime. I doubt the young Blackhawks will be able to win two straight games against two of the better teams in the league. We’ve been backing the Lightning a lot during this winning stretch and there’s no reason to stop now with them having the rest advantage. Give me the Lightning and the PL for max betting value.