It’s onto Game 3 for the West’s top seed, Vegas. They will once again face off against the surprising Chicago Blackhawks, who if not for the coronavirus, would not have come close to sniffing the NHL postseason.

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Chicago got smoked 4-1 in Game 1 then battled before losing 4-3 in overtime in Game 2. What does Game 3 hold?

Game: Vegas Golden Knights (44-24-8) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (35-32-9)

When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, August 15, 2020

Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB, Canada

Current Line: VEG -195 Total: 6.0

Chicago overachieved in its qualification series with Edmonton. The Blackhawks got seven points from veteran Jonathan Toews and 36-year-old defenseman Duncan Keith was outstanding. Patrick Kane still has it, but after that, Chicago is simply much less talented than Vegas.

It showed in both Games 1 and 2. The Blackhawks goaltending is suspect at best. One of the reasons is because they traded Robin Lehner to Vegas back in February. At the time, it appeared Chicago would be heading home come playoff time. Then, the coronavirus came.

Now, the Blackhawks are forced to play Corey Crawford the entire series. Crawford has done his best and is 3-3 during the postseason, but he has given up eight goals thus far in the series with the Knights.

Chicago has to once again go up against a Vegas lineup that has unbelievable depth up front. Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, and Paul Stastny played together in the round-robin. Then, there is Alex Tuch, Tomas Nosek, and the rest of the bunch that have yet to lose in the five games they have played since the NHL restart, making them a great target for those given free picks.

With all of the goal-scoring the Knights have been doing, an interesting trend for NHL bettors is emerging in Vegas. In their last five games, the Total has gone over in four. The Over has also hit in four of the Knights last five games against a Western Conference opponent.

Breaking it down even more, the Total has gone Over in four of Vegas’ last five games against opponents from the Central Division. That, of course, is the home of the Blackhawks.

As interesting as the Totals are in relation to Vegas, what really stands out is simply how well the Golden Knights are playing. As mentioned, they swept through the round-robin and have beaten Chicago twice in their Round of 16 series. 

It’s reasonable to believe that the Knights will sweep Chicago, the team with the lowest point total of all 24 teams that made the postseason.

With that in mind, Vegas has won its last seven games in a row. Vegas will technically be the road team in this game even though it is being played at Rogers Place in Edmonton. It’s worth noting that Vegas is 5-0 in their last five games as the road team.

It’s also worth noting that Vegas has a rather stellar record against the Blackhawks in recent history. The Knights are 10-1 in the last 11 meetings with Chicago. 

Vegas will put Chicago out of its misery with wins in Game 3 and 4. Expect the Knights offense to flourish. Vegas is a huge favorite on the moneyline at -210. With their success against Chicago, the better play is on the puck line. Take Vegas -1.5 at +130 at America’s Bookie to win big.

NHL Free Pick: Vegas Puck Line -1.5 (+130)