Play this +160 Underdog to Win

Blackhawks vs. Sharks, 10 ET

We returned to the win column yesterday with a very easy win on the Avalanche. They ended up scoring three goals in the first period and never looked back. Those are the type of games we are looking to play in - ones that cause us no stress or pressure. I can't safely say I have that today, but I do have a play on something that I think is just too valuable to pass up.

The Blackhawks are one of the worst teams in the NHL, but they are hot. It is a bit counterintuitive as you'd think that they'd be struggling right now with franchise cornerstones on the trade block and rumored to be moving any day. But, for whatever reason, here they are winning game after game. In their last contest they were over +300 dogs and came out victorious. Sometimes a team just has stuff click for a while. It also helps with who they play and right now they have a good matchup against a struggling San Jose team. Petr Mrazek is likely to be the goalie for the Hawks and he's probably been their worst goalie this season. He has faced them in both of the previous matchups and won one game and lost the other. He's allowed seven goals to the Sharks on the season.

The Sharks are also one of the worst teams in the NHL this season. They actually have a worse record than the Blackhawks and have been very bad at home with only six wins all season on their home ice. They are in the middle of a home stand but are going to play on one day less rest than Chicago. I expect the Sharks to start Kaapo Kahkonen in this one, but honestly, I don't really care who they start, I think the Blackhawks are the better team. Just like Mrazek, he has faced the Hawks twice and is 1-1 with seven goals allowed.

So we have a battle of two bad teams here and they have the Sharks as -190 favorites? I'm not sure if this is just something I'm missing or not understanding, but that seems alarmingly high for a team that has lost four of their past five games and just nine of their past 13 games. I'm backing the Blackhawks here at +160 to win this. I think they're playing better and provided Kane doesn't get traded in the next couple of hours, I think this should be a win for Chicago.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on Twitter: @futureprez2024