The Vegas Golden Knights hit the road to take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night with both teams looking to gain traction midway through the season. Vegas enters as a clear favorite but has stumbled in recent outings, while Chicago has just picked up a morale-boosting shootout win and looks to win on their home ice. Before the puck drops in Chicago, my Golden Knights vs Blackhawks prediction can be found right here.
Our Golden Knights vs Blackhawks Pick
| Pick: | |
| Confidence: | 4/5 |
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Vegas Golden Knights vs Chicago Blackhawks
- Date & Time: Sunday, January 4, 2026, 7:00 PM ET
- Venue: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Recent form
Vegas has struggled recently, losing four straight games and entering this matchup with just one win in its last eight outings after a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Friday. This losing streak has prevented the Knights from getting to the top of a very winnable Pacific Division. Chicago comes in with momentum, having just outlasted Washington in a shootout behind 32 saves from Spencer Knight, giving the Blackhawks two straight wins coming into this matchup. But this is the second game of a back-to-back for the Blackhawks, which could cause them some problems.
Goaltending
On the Vegas side, goaltending has been a storyline of late with Carter Hart posting a subpar save percentage amidst the team’s recent struggles. Hart is expected to start again in this matchup. Chicago’s Spencer Knight played yesterday, which should mean that Arvid Soderblom is set to play tonight. Soderblom has a GAA over 4.00 for the season and isn’t expected to fare well against the Knights here.
Key skaters
Vegas’ offense is led by Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner, supported by Pavel Dorofeyev and Mark Stone, offering several offensive threats at even strength and on the power play. Chicago has Connor Bedard leading the charge offensively, supported by contributions from Ryan Donato, Teuvo Teravainen, and Nick Foligno. Chicago’s ability to get pucks to the net and create secondary chances will be important against a deeper Vegas attack.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Jack Eichel (VGK) | |
| Connor Bedard (CHI) |
Betting Trends & H2H
- Vegas won the first matchup of the season against Chicago by a score of 4-3 in Vegas.
- Vegas is just 10-28 on the puckline so far this season.
- Chicago is 28-13 in the puckline market for the year.
Golden Knights vs Blackhawks Model Projection
Final Thoughts
