CHI vs UTA Prediction, Odds and NHL Picks for Today

The Utah Mammoth kick off their 2026-27 NHL season with their home opener, a battle against the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago has already gotten its feet wet this season in a 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Things won’t get much easier against a hungry opponent in a tough building. Get set for the action with our expert Blackhawks vs Mammoth prediction.

As expected, it was a rough season opener for Chicago -- which gave up five goals in a 5-2 loss. The 'Hawks now hit the road again for their second game and will likely be in for another defensive nightmare. Utah finished the 2025-26 campaign scoring 3.27 goals per game, which was a top-10 average. The Mammoth did trade dynamite forward JJ Peterka since then but will offset that with nice additions of Vincent Trochek and Anders Lee. They will add great offensive instincts to what was already a stacked forward group. Add another year of experience for young guns like Dylan Guenther and Dylan Cooley, and we will see an electric offense -- especially in their home opener. In 2025-26, Chicago finished with the sixth-worst goals against average (3.29) and there just haven’t been enough improvements to suggest it will defend much better going forward. With an expected onslaught from Utah and a handful of offense from a determined Chicago team, our Blackhawks vs Mammoth prediction anticipates a high-scoring affair. 

Blackhawks vs Mammoth prediction: Over 6 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -130.