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As of Sep 29, 10:28 PM ET, moneyline tickets split 80% Blackhawks, 20% Mammoth, and the money splits 57% Blackhawks, 43% Mammoth (licensed market-data feed, the same numbers as our betting splits board).
| Market | Chicago Blackhawks | Utah Mammoth |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | +160Bet at DraftKings → | -190Bet at Caesars → |
| Spread | +1.5 -148Bet at DraftKings → | -1.5 +135Bet at theScore Bet → |
| Total 5.5 | O -115Bet at Hard Rock Bet → | U +100Bet at theScore Bet → |
Utah Mammoth -190. Chicago Blackhawks +160. Remove the sportsbook's built-in cut and the market reads this 62.9% to 37.1%, and here is the uncomfortable part: every single best price we found still pays less than that read. Now stack the injury news on top. The one Blackhawk and the one Mammoth listed in our data are both on injured reserve. Thursday, October 1, 9:30 PM ET, Delta Center, and the easy angles are already inside the number.
This is the front end of the 2027 regular season. As of publication both clubs sit at 0-0-0, which is simply where every team sits before a puck drops, not a trend. No standings exist yet, so we will not pretend to know a pecking order.
The season series between these two starts right here on 10/1, meaning there is no head-to-head history from this year to lean on. Utah hosts at Delta Center and carries home ice. Mammoth vs Blackhawks is a blank page, and the market has written the first line on it: Utah favored, Chicago live as the underdog at a price that pays better than even money.
Our data names two players, and both are unavailable. Connor Bedard, Chicago's most recognizable forward, is on injured reserve. Maveric Lamoureux is on injured reserve for Utah. That is the whole named list, two names, one per side. What it means for a bettor: the offensive spark the Blackhawks would normally sell tickets on is not dressing, and Utah is short a defenseman. We are not going to invent production numbers for players we were not given. We will say this instead, an underdog missing its signature scorer is a harder sell than the +160 makes it look at a glance.
Moneyline first. That is a straight bet on who wins the game. Chicago +160 (best at DraftKings) means a $100 bet profits $160.00 when it wins and loses $100 when it does not, with a break-even of 38.5%. Utah -190 (best at Caesars) means a $100 bet profits $52.63 when it wins and loses $100 when it does not, break-even 65.5%. Utah is the favorite, Chicago is the underdog, and with the vig removed that is about 62.9% to 37.1%, a fair -170.
The puck line is the hockey point spread. Chicago +1.5 at -148 (DraftKings) wins if Chicago wins outright or loses by 1 or fewer, and it loses on a 2-goal loss. No push at a half goal. That $100 bet profits $67.57, break-even 59.7%. Utah -1.5 at +135 (theScore Bet) wins only if Utah wins by 2 or more, a 1-goal win loses, and $100 profits $135.00 with a break-even of 42.6%. The total is 5.5 combined goals: Over 5.5 -115 (Hard Rock Bet) profits $86.96 per $100, break-even 53.5%; Under 5.5 +100 (theScore Bet) profits $100.00 per $100, break-even 50%.
Expected value is the average result per $100 risked if you could replay the game many times. Every side here is negative. Chicago +160 loses $3.54 per $100 risked against a 37.1% no-vig read (fair price +170). Utah -190 loses $3.99 per $100 risked, fair price -170. Over 5.5 loses $3.34 per $100, Under 5.5 loses $3.40 per $100.
The Chicago +1.5 ticket, judged on its own cover number of 57.8% against a 59.7% break-even, loses $3.15 per $100. One number leaks far less than the rest: Utah -1.5 at +135, where the no-vig cover probability is 42.2% against a 42.6% break-even, minus $0.83 per $100 risked. That is not a green light, it is the least bad price on the board, and it only makes sense if you like Utah to win by multiple goals.
Two names, one per side. Connor Bedard is on injured reserve for Chicago. Maveric Lamoureux is on injured reserve for Utah. Confirm the final lineup before Thursday's 9:30 PM ET puck drop.
Utah Mammoth -1.5 at +135, best price at theScore Bet. Its own break-even is 42.6% and its own no-vig cover number is 42.2%, so this does not clear the bar on math alone. Call it a matchup lean: home ice, and a Chicago side opening without Bedard.
Utah 4, Chicago 2. That adds to 6 goals, which is above the total of 5.5, though at -115 the Over is not a price we would pay. Shop it, because the gap between +135 and a shorter number is real money. That is the read on this number, and the Desk posts a documented free play on days like this just below.
Mammoth is the market favorite at -190 (best price at Caesars) on the moneyline, with Blackhawks at +160. Lines move all day, so check the odds table on this page for the current best number at every book.
Every price on this board pays less than the market's own read, so we take the smallest leak: Utah Mammoth -1.5 at +135 (theScore Bet) as a matchup lean. The full read, including a projected final score, is in The Prediction section above.
The total is 5.5, with the over priced at -115 at Hard Rock Bet and the under at +100 at theScore Bet. A total is a bet on the combined score of both teams, over or under that number, no matter who wins.
Yes. This is a free Wise Guy Desk breakdown, our analysis, not Ross's official plays. Ross's documented plays are bet with real money and graded win or loss on the members board.
Expected value first: the best price across the regulated US books we track versus the true fair price with the vig removed, then the matchup data (form, standings, injuries, key players). Line shopping for the best number is the edge most bettors leave on the table.
This preview was produced with AI assistance from live data feeds and reviewed by automated checks. Odds and availability change constantly and may differ from what's shown - always verify the current line at your sportsbook before betting. Found an error? memberservice@wiseguyteam.com.
21+. For entertainment and educational purposes, not financial advice. Wise Guy Desk reads are analysis, not guaranteed outcomes. If gambling stops being fun, take a break. 1-800-GAMBLER.