Blackhawks vs. Kings odds, prediction: NHL picks, best bets for Tuesday, March 19

The Chicago Blackhawks have caught fire of late, winning three of their last four games as they venture west to face the Los Angeles Kings Tuesday night.

While this might be frustrating for Blackhawks fans looking for their team to secure the No. 1 draft pick for the second straight year, it should make for a more interesting game against the Pacific Division’s third-place Kings.

Let’s take a closer look at the matchup and find a betting edge.

Blackhawks vs. Kings odds

• Spread: Blackhawks +1.5 (+115), Kings -1.5 (-135)
• Total: Over 5.5 (-115), Under 5.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: Blackhawks +300, Kings -400

Odds via BetMGM

Use the Tribune’s BetMGM bonus code TRIB1600 for bonus bets before making your Blackhawks vs. Kings pick.

Blackhawks vs. Kings analysis

Chicago completed its four-game homestand with a 5-2 comeback victory over San Jose by scoring four goals in the third period. In three of the victories that also included games against Arizona and Anaheim, the Blackhawks tallied 19 total goals.

The lone loss on the homestand came against the Kings in a humbling 5-0 shutout on Friday night. Los Angeles blitzed the Blackhawks for four goals in the first period, including two from veteran Anze Kopitar. Cam Talbot made 28 saves in net for the Kings, who defeated the Blackhawks for the third straight time.

The road has not been kind to Chicago, which has won five games in 32 tries away from United Center this season. In the last 23 road games, the Blackhawks have won only once, which came at Arizona on March 5.

Since the end of January, the Kings are 7-1 off a loss. They are coming off a 4-1 defeat at Dallas on Saturday, closing out a three-game road swing.

Blackhawks vs. Kings pick

This line is massive as the Kings are nearly -400 favorites, which is never recommended to take.

We’ll focus on the first-period total and look at the under of 1.5 goals.

Los Angeles has hit the first-period under in four straight home games, while Chicago has failed to score a first-period goal in eight of its past 10 road games.

Pick: First-period under 1.5 goals (-110, FanDuel)

When betting the first-period under, register with the Chicago Tribune’s FanDuel promo code today for a sign-up offer.