Chicago Blackhawks vs Detroit Red Wings Picks and Predictions for Thursday October 29 2026
Chicago finally won a game Tuesday, beating Los Angeles 2-1. Nice win, especially against a Kings team that’s been tough to score on. But I’m not ready to jump on the Blackhawks because they managed to get two goals at home. Now they have to go to Detroit, and Chicago hasn’t won a road game all season. That’s a problem I can’t ignore.
The Blackhawks visit the Red Wings Thursday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Puck drop is 7:30 PM ET, with the game available on ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+. Detroit is coming off a 4-3 shootout win over Edmonton, and the Red Wings have been playing better hockey than Chicago. I’m going with Detroit on the moneyline and Under 6.5 goals. Get in on all the action before it happens with our free NHL picks.
Chicago Blackhawks Still Can’t Win Away From Home
Chicago is 4-8, and all four wins have come at home. The Blackhawks are 0-4 on the road, which tells me plenty about how this team has been handling games away from Chicago. They beat Los Angeles 2-1 Tuesday, and that was a good defensive effort. But before anybody gets carried away, remember this team has scored only 26 goals in twelve games. That’s barely more than two per night.
The Blackhawks are averaging 2.17 goals and allowing 3.67. That’s an ugly combination. Their power play has been sitting around ten percent, one of the worst marks in the league. You can’t keep wasting chances with the extra man when you’re already struggling to score at even strength. Chicago has also been losing too many faceoffs, which makes it harder to keep possession. Detroit isn’t a powerhouse offensively, but the Red Wings have been defending better than Chicago, and that’s enough to give them an advantage.
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Chicago has been dealing with some injuries on the blue line. Ryan Ellis is out for the season with a back problem, and Bowen Byram has been dealing with an upper-body injury. That’s not ideal for a team allowing nearly four goals a night. The Blackhawks need to protect their own end better and stop giving opponents easy second chances. They did that against Los Angeles. Doing it again on the road is another matter.
Detroit Red Wings Have Been Harder to Beat
Detroit is 5-4-3, and the Red Wings have picked up points in eight of their twelve games. They’re 3-3-1 at home, so it’s not like they’ve been unbeatable in Detroit. But they’ve been playing some decent hockey lately, going 5-2-3 over their last ten. Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout win over Edmonton was another example. The Red Wings didn’t dominate the game, but they found a way to get the extra point.
Detroit is scoring 2.58 goals per game and allowing 2.92. That’s not an offense that’s going to scare anybody, but the defense has been doing enough to keep games close. The Red Wings have also been better on the power play than Chicago, converting around 21 percent of their chances. That’s a pretty big difference when both teams have been struggling to score at even strength. If Detroit gets a couple of power plays, I like its chances of making one count.
The Red Wings have some injury concerns too. Mason Appleton and Marco Kasper have been unavailable, while Daniil Tarasov and Albert Johansson have been dealing with injuries. That takes away some depth, and Detroit can’t afford to get careless. But the Red Wings have been playing a more reliable defensive game than Chicago. They don’t need to score five goals to win Thursday. Three might be enough.
Chicago Blackhawks vs Detroit Red Wings Picks and Predictions
Detroit Red Wings Moneyline
I’m taking Detroit. Chicago’s 0-4 road record is the first thing I look at, and the Blackhawks’ offense hasn’t given me much reason to expect that to change. Detroit isn’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard either, but the Red Wings have been better defensively and have been finding ways to pick up points. Chicago could make this uncomfortable if it plays another tight game like it did against Los Angeles. That’s the risk. But I trust Detroit more to get the important goal in the third period. Give me the Red Wings at home.
Under 6.5 Goals — Target Total
I like Under 6.5. Chicago is averaging barely more than two goals per game, and Detroit isn’t scoring much more than that. Both teams have had trouble finishing chances, and I don’t see a good reason to expect a seven-goal game unless the goaltending falls apart. Chicago’s defense has been bad enough to make that possible, so I’m not ignoring the danger. But Detroit has been playing tighter games lately, and the Blackhawks just won a 2-1 game against Los Angeles. I can see something like 3-2 Detroit, and that keeps us comfortably Under 6.5.
Final Picks: Detroit Red Wings Moneyline and Under 6.5 Goals (target total)
Preview prepared October 28, 2026.
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