St. Louis Blues at Chicago Blackhawks: Odds and Betting Preview
The St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks meet on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, in an early-season Central Division matchup. The odds across books tell a consistent story: this game is nearly a coin flip, with no clear consensus favorite emerging from the market.
What the Blues vs. Blackhawks Moneyline Says
The moneyline is about as even as it gets. DraftKings has both sides listed at -110, meaning bettors risk $110 to win $100 on either team. That pricing implies roughly a 52.4% probability for each side, which is the book building standard juice into a pick'em.
Over at 1xBet, both the Blues and Blackhawks are listed at +154, implying around 39.4% per side. The gap between those figures and 100% is where draw odds come in. 1xBet and Marathon Bet both offer three-way moneyline markets that include a draw at +311 and +305, respectively. At +311, a draw carries an implied probability of about 24.3%. These markets are worth noting for bettors who want exposure to the regulation draw, which in hockey settles before overtime and the shootout.
If you want to convert any of these odds formats, the Odds Converter on Line Whale makes it easy to move between American, decimal, and fractional figures.
Puck Line Breakdown
The puck line is set at the standard 1.5 goals and shows some variance across books. DraftKings has Chicago -1.5 at +220 and St. Louis +1.5 at -270. Coolbet mirrors that structure closely, with Chicago -1.5 at +225 and St. Louis +1.5 at -286.
Chicago at +220 on the -1.5 implies roughly a 31.3% probability that the Blackhawks win by two or more goals. Laying -270 on the Blues to cover +1.5, meaning they win outright or lose by one, reflects how strongly the market expects this game to stay close regardless of who wins.
1xBet takes a different approach, posting both sides at a 0.0 spread at -106 each. That is a standard pick'em with no goal advantage given to either side, again reinforcing that books view these teams as roughly equal.
Totals: Market Expects a Low-Scoring Game
The over/under is set at 5.5 goals on both DraftKings and 1xBet. DraftKings has both sides at -110, while 1xBet prices both the over and under at -106. That balanced pricing at 5.5 suggests the market expects a tight, defensively oriented game. A total of 5.5 sits on the lower end for NHL lines, which typically range between 5.5 and 6.5 depending on the teams and goaltending matchup.
The consistency across books here is notable. There is no meaningful line shopping edge on the total right now, which tells you the market has already settled on this number.
Key Factors to Watch Before Puck Drop
Goaltender Announcements
The starting goalie is often the single biggest driver of line movement in hockey. If either team announces a starter considered a clear upgrade or downgrade, expect the moneyline to shift. A strong goaltending matchup could push the total lower, while a backup entering for either side might cause it to tick up.
Early-Season Roster Context
This game falls just a week into the 2026-27 NHL season. Early-season lines carry more uncertainty than mid-season matchups because books and bettors have less data on how rosters have come together. Injuries, lineup decisions, and conditioning all carry more weight in October than they would in February.
Line Movement
Given how sharp and even this market looks, any movement away from the current pick'em pricing is worth tracking. Sharp action on one side could quickly shift these numbers, particularly at books with lower early-season limits. Tracking Steam Moves on Line Whale can help you spot sudden line shifts that signal where professional money is landing.
Divisional Familiarity
Blues-Blackhawks is a Central Division rivalry. Divisional games in the NHL tend to be lower-scoring and more physical, which aligns with the 5.5 total currently posted.
Shopping the Market
With books posting different structures on this game, from three-way moneylines at 1xBet and Marathon Bet to standard two-way markets at DraftKings, there are real reasons to hold accounts at more than one sportsbook. The Sportsbook Rankings page on Line Whale breaks down the top options available to US bettors by sport.
The broader odds picture is clear: St. Louis and Chicago are dead even heading into October 7, and the market is not pricing in a blowout from either side.