The NHL rolls into Chicago on Mon, 26 Oct, 6:00 am AEDT when the Blackhawks host the Florida Panthers at United Center. It’s one of those early-season fixtures where ladder distance and recent scoring trends tell the yarn — worth a look if you follow nhl tips and like a market with a clear favourite.
Chicago have been largely at home to start their campaign and will try to flip the script after a 1–4 loss to Montreal on Sat, 24 Oct. Florida fly in having dropped a 0–4 result at Pittsburgh on Fri, 23 Oct, so both teams are licking wounds and hoping for a quick reset.
Who will win?
The Panthers look the safer bet on paper. Florida sit 14th on the ladder with a 5-4-2 record and 12 points; Chicago sit 29th at 3-6-0 with six points. That ladder gap is backed up by recent scoring: Florida are averaging 3.8 goals across their last five, while Chicago have managed 2.4.
Form reads in a similar direction. Chicago’s last five (all at home) are L 1–4, L 0–4, W 4–3, W 5–3 and L 2–5 — a team that can score but is leaking at the other end, conceding 3.8 per game in that sample. Florida’s last five are more streaky: three big wins (including an 8–3 home win on 18 Oct) followed by two heavy away defeats (1–5 at Ottawa, 0–4 at Pittsburgh).
Special teams and puck-share numbers favour the visitors too. Florida’s power play sits at 19.23% and penalty kill at 82.61%, while Chicago are down on both fronts (12.5% PP, 74.07% PK). The Panthers also lead in shots for (309) versus Chicago’s 193 across the season, and their expected-goals profile is healthier (Florida 20.8 xGF vs Chicago 15.9).
Both teams are coming off losses — Chicago’s most recent outing was that 1–4 home defeat to Montreal; Florida’s was the 0–4 loss at Pittsburgh — so momentum is fragile for both. With the market showing Florida as favourite (prices: Panthers 1.55, Blackhawks 2.45 on the board), the away side looks the cleaner read given season-to-date form and special-teams edges.
There’s limited recent head-to-head history to factor into the bet, so the decision rests on season stats and the last-five samples rather than a rivalry pattern. On balance, lean to the Florida Panthers to get the job done, but frame it as an opinion — nothing is guaranteed.
Tipped at $1.55 · . Opinion, not a guarantee. Gamble responsibly — 18+.
Head-to-head context
Season and last-five scoring — context for the match-winner market.
Leading scorers
Season goals and assists.
Chicago Blackhawks
| Player | G-A |
|---|---|
| Connor BedardC | 4G 6A |
| Patrick KaneRW | 1G 8A |
| Roman KantserovRW | 6G 2A |
Florida Panthers
| Player | G-A |
|---|---|
| Matthew TkachukLW | 4G 17A |
| Seth JonesD | 2G 16A |
| Brady TkachukLW | 8G 8A |
Match-up angles and what to watch
Chicago’s defence has been the bigger worry — they concede 4.0 goals per game this season and have a goals-against spike reflected in their last-five sample (avgAgainst 3.8). Their save percentage sits at 0.869, a touch below Florida’s 0.873, so goaltending hasn’t insulated them from defensive lapses.
Florida can put pucks on the board (31 goals this season, 2.82 per game) and have top-end creators in their leading-scorers list — Matthew Tkachuk (3G 12A) and Brady Tkachuk (7G 4A) feature prominently. Chicago’s attack has some contributors too — Anton Frondell (1G 5A) and Teuvo Teräväinen (2G 3A) — but the visitors’ depth and shot volume (309 shots for vs Chicago 193) are telling.
Punters should note both clubs had heavy defeats in their most recent starts; that can flip motivation and match tempo quickly. Expect Florida to try to control possession and test Chicago’s stretched defensive group early.
Final call (opinion)
We’re leaning to the Florida Panthers to win at the United Center. The ladder position, stronger goals-for form over the last five, and cleaner special-teams numbers give them the edge.
If you want the counterplay, Chicago at bigger prices is playable as a low-confidence roughie because they’re at home and capable of high-scoring nights, but the safer narrative-based read from the pack is Florida.