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The Chicago Blackhawks (0-1-0) and Utah Mammoth (0-0-0) will meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 9:30 p.m. EDT at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Mammoth are favored at -220 on the moneyline, with the Blackhawks +180 to pull off the upset. The over/under is set at 6 (-124o / +102u).
Let's get into our Blackhawks vs. Utah predictions and NHL picks.
Blackhawks vs. Mammoth Prediction
- Pick: Roman Kantserov Over 1.5 Shots on Goal (-105, DraftKings)
Our Chicago vs. Utah best bet is on Roman Kantserov to go over his shots on goal prop, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your NHL bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NHL odds page.
Blackhawks vs Mammoth Odds
| Blackhawks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -142 | 6.5 110o / -134u | +180 |
| Utah Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +116 | 6.5 110o / -134u | -220 |
- Blackhawks vs. Mammoth puck line: Mammoth -1.5 (+119 ), Blackhawks +1.5 (-141)
- Blackhawks vs. Mammoth over/under: 6 (-124o / +102u)
- Blackhawks vs. Mammoth moneyline: Blackhawks +180, Mammoth -220
- Blackhawks vs. Mammoth best bet: Roman Kantserov Over 1.5 Shots on Goal
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Blackhawks vs. Mammoth Preview
Chicago opened its season with a 5-2 loss in Las Vegas, and the club continues to navigate life without captain Connor Bedard, who's expected to be sidelined until November following shoulder surgery. That absence has created real opportunity up and down Chicago's lineup, and nobody has benefited more than rookie Roman Kantserov.
After making his NHL debut on the wing against Vegas — logging 17:07 of ice time, a shot on goal, three hits and over two and a half minutes of power-play time — head coach Jeff Blashill has now bumped him up to center on a first line alongside Oliver Moore and veteran Patrick Kane for tonight's matchup in Salt Lake City.
Kantserov arrives with a strong offensive pedigree, having posted 36 goals and 28 assists in 63 KHL games last season for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, a track record built on a high shot-volume style of play.
Utah, fresh off a breakout campaign that included the franchise's first-ever playoff berth, opens its home schedule looking to pick up where it left off. The Mammoth finished with a plus-28 goal differential a season ago and will be a stiff early-season test for a Chicago team still finding its identity in the first week of the year.
Chicago Blackhawks vs Utah Mammoth Pick
The case for Kantserov clearing this number centers on role and opportunity rather than early-season results alone. Moving to a true top-line center spot next to Patrick Kane is a significant bump in offensive zone usage and ice time compared to a bottom-six debut, and that kind of promotion after just one NHL game signals real organizational confidence in his ability to drive play.
His power-play usage in game one (2:36 of man-advantage time) is another path to extra shot volume tonight, particularly with Bedard out and the Blackhawks needing secondary scorers to step up on both units.
His underlying profile also supports the shot-generation angle. Kantserov built his reputation in the KHL as a high-volume shooter, racking up shots at an elite rate during his breakout season in Russia, and while the jump to the NHL brings a different level of competition, a bump in both ice time and offensive-zone role should translate into more pucks on net than his modest one-shot debut suggested.
Our model's 1.93 projection reflects that expected uptick, and the number clears tonight's 1.5 line by a healthy margin.
Best Bet: Roman Kantserov Over 1.5 Shots on Goal (-105, DraftKings)
