NHL Betting Preview: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings Odds, Analysis

Two old rivals will meet again Wednesday when the Detroit Red Wings (32-20-11) host the Chicago Blackhawks (39-20-5) in an Original Six matchup.

The Red Wings are going for their fourth straight victory overall and fourth in the past five meetings with the Blackhawks, who defeated them in an epic seven-game playoff series three years ago. Chicago opened as a minus-120 road favorite for Wednesday's game at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.

Detroit held a 3-1 lead on Chicago in the 2013 Western Conference quarterfinals before losing three in a row as the team made its final postseason appearance in the West. The Red Wings moved to the Eastern Conference the following year and have gone 3-1 in the last four meetings with the Blackhawks, with two of the wins decided by one goal.

Two of Detroit’s three victories during its current winning streak came away from home after the team lost four in a row during a four-game road trip. The Wings are 5-1 in their last six home games, with the loss coming versus the Colorado Avalanche on February 12.

Chicago’s lone win in the rivalry over the past two seasons came as a large minus-200 home favorite (bet $200 to win $100) in a 4-1 victory on March 16, 2014. The Blackhawks have won their last three games against Eastern Conference opponents along with 10 of 13 following a 3-2 win over the NHL-leading Washington Capitals on Sunday.

That ended a two-game skid for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who had also dropped five of seven before beating the Capitals. Chicago is 4-1 in its last five road games, winning four straight before falling 6-1 to the Minnesota Wild on February 21.

The Blackhawks will be playing the first game of a back-to-back situation, visiting the Boston Bruins on Thursday in the second. They are 4-1 the last five times they have played the front end of a back-to-back, according to the Odds Shark NHL Database, losing to the Florida Panthers 4-0 on January 22 to snap their four-game winning streak under that scenario.

Detroit’s next game is not until Sunday at Chicago, which will complete the home-and-home series with three days of rest in between.