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Chicago Blackhawks vs Dallas Stars Picks and Predictions – Saturday December 27, 2025
The Chicago Blackhawks head to Dallas on Saturday night to face the Stars at American Airlines Center, with puck drop set for 8:00 PM ET on ESPN+. Dallas comes out of the holiday break in strong shape in the Central race at 25-7-6, and the timing helps after a brutal stretch where they still banked points almost every night.
Chicago is going the other direction. The Blackhawks are 13-17-6 and have dropped six straight in regulation, with the last five coming without Connor Bedard. That absence has shown up on the scoreboard, and it changes how you price their moneyline upside and their ability to threaten a total.
Dallas is a heavy favorite here, and the real betting question is how you want to pay for the Stars edge: puck line, total, or a derivative read once goalies are confirmed.
Chicago Blackhawks vs Dallas Stars Odds
These are the current betting lines, and bettors should always monitor updated NHL odds leading into puck drop. Keep tracking the Chicago Blackhawks vs Dallas Stars odds for any late movement tied to starting goalies.
| Team | Moneyline | Puck Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Blackhawks | +280 | +1.5 (+110) | O 5.5 (-120) |
| Dallas Stars | -360 | -1.5 (-130) | U 5.5 (+100) |
Chicago Blackhawks Betting Form
Chicago’s current form is defined by one thing: surviving shifts without Bedard, then trying to manufacture enough offense to keep games from drifting away. The Blackhawks have been competitive in stretches, but the scoring has dried up, and that creates a bad loop for bettors. When you cannot score, you take more chances. When you take more chances, you give up cleaner looks the other way. That’s how underdogs turn into puck line problems.
The other thing I watch with Chicago is special teams rhythm. Without your top offensive driver, your power play can get static fast, and the five-on-five attack tends to rely on second chances and net-front chaos. Against Dallas, that’s hard to live on. If Chicago wins this game, it probably looks like a goalie performance plus a low-event structure, not a track meet.
For a quick look at recent results and how Chicago has been priced, check Chicago Blackhawks stats and results. Availability matters here, so monitor the Chicago Blackhawks injury report before puck drop, especially with Bedard’s status and the supporting forward group.
Dallas Stars Betting Form
Dallas has been steady even when the results have not been perfect. They just finished a demanding travel stretch and still produced a 12-2-2 run across 16 games, and the offense is coming from multiple layers. The Stars can beat you with top-line skill, but they can also beat you with depth shifts that tilt the ice and draw penalties.
From a betting angle, Dallas is usually about deciding whether the price is worth paying. A -360 moneyline is not something you casually click. But it does tell you the market expects Dallas to control play, and Chicago’s current scoring profile supports that. The spot also helps Dallas. They get the break, they’re at home, and they should be the fresher team.
For a deeper snapshot of how Dallas has been winning and where the production is coming from, see Dallas Stars schedule and stats. Also keep tabs on the Dallas Stars injury report before you lock anything in, because Dallas’ value changes if key centers or top-pair defense availability shifts.
Chicago Blackhawks vs Dallas Stars Matchup Breakdown
This matchup is about pace control. Dallas can play fast when it wants, but it doesn’t need to. Against a Chicago team missing its main creator, the Stars can lean into structure, win the neutral zone, and force the Blackhawks to take long routes to generate shots. That usually leads to a shot quality gap over 60 minutes.
Special teams are a second lever. Dallas can turn one or two power plays into separation, and Chicago’s path is the opposite. Stay out of the box, keep it at five-on-five, and hope the game stays close into the third. If Chicago takes early penalties, it gets ugly quickly because the Blackhawks are not built right now to chase a two-goal deficit with clean offense.
Goaltending is the one piece I will not pretend is settled. Dallas could go back to Jake Oettinger after Casey DeSmith got the last start, and Chicago has rotated as well. If you get the stronger starter for Dallas and a backup for Chicago, the Stars puck line becomes more appealing. If both teams go with their best option, it pushes me more toward the under and away from paying extra juice on margin.
If you want a sharper framework for handling puck line versus total decisions when goalie news is pending, this NHL betting guide is a good reference point.
Chicago Blackhawks vs Dallas Stars Predictions and Best Bets
I lean Dallas on the puck line. The moneyline is correctly expensive, and it’s hard to justify in a single-game bet unless you’re parlaying or building a larger position. The puck line at -130 is still not cheap, but it at least ties your price to how this matchup is likely to play out: Dallas controlling the game, Chicago struggling to score, and the Stars having enough depth to extend a lead.
On the total, I lean under 5.5 at plus money. That might feel scary with Dallas involved, but the under case is simple. Chicago’s offense is limited right now, Dallas can win without playing wide open, and a rested home favorite often chooses the cleaner route when it has a lead. The risk is that Dallas does most of the scoring itself, which is absolutely possible. That’s why my stronger lean is on the Stars margin rather than asking Chicago to help you cash an under.
If you want a secondary angle, I think Dallas in regulation is a reasonable way to avoid overtime variance, but price shopping matters there. With the numbers in front of us, the puck line is still the clearest value compared to the heavy moneyline.
Best Bet: Dallas Stars -1.5 (-130).
NHL Picks and Handicappers on ScoresAndStats
If you’re betting NHL regularly, it helps to compare multiple viewpoints, especially on nights where goalie confirmations can swing the market. Starting with today’s NHL picks gives you a quick way to see how different handicappers are attacking sides and totals across the slate.
The other advantage is accountability. The top sports handicappers page lets you compare long-term performance, and the handicapper leaderboard makes it easier to track who is actually delivering profit instead of short-term noise. If you want more volume during a busy stretch, premium NHL picks can be a better fit than forcing action into thin edges.
And if you’re mixing nightly betting with futures positioning, the Stanley Cup betting guide is useful for separating real contenders from teams riding variance. For more game-by-game coverage beyond this matchup, the NHL previews hub keeps everything organized.
