NHL Betting: Will the Blackhawks Finish With the Worst Record?

There's a lot of focus on who will win the Stanley Cup, win their divisions or make the playoffs. However, there is another race that is important for the future, and it involves the worst teams in the league.

It might not make a huge difference to this season, but the race to finish as the worst team would lock up the best odds in the NHL Draft Lottery. This could be potentially franchise-altering depending where the next superstar lands. So, who should we bet on to finish with the worst NHL regular season record based on the odds on FanDuel Sportsbook?

Note: Lines are subject to change after this article is published. All NHL betting odds and totals are from the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All advanced statistics are used from MoneyPuck.com and NaturalStatTrick.com.

NHL Worst Regular Season Odds

Chicago Blackhawks (-165)

The team that got the number-one overall pick is now the favorite to have the best chance of winning the lottery again this season. Chicago has just 30 points in 50 games, which is the worst point percentage in the league.

Of course, the Chicago Blackhawks actually had the third-worst record in the league last season. A lucky lottery ball landed them Connor Bedard.

Bedard has pretty much lived up to the hype. His 0.85 points per game leads all rookies by some distance. It's especially impressive when you look at the lack of talent around him; Chicago's roster was already weak to begin with and has been depleted due to injury.

The injury to Bedard has really hurt Chicago's chances of being competitive in most games. They've won 3 of the 11 games since Bedard broke his jaw on January 5th -- and just one in regulation. It looks like Bedard will be out for at least another month . The team looks like it will continue to struggle without him.

Petr Mrazek has been good enough for them in net, saving 6.8 goals above expectation. However, we shouldn't necessarily expect that to continue. He's always been an erratic guy when compared to other goaltenders. The two seasons before this, he was saving fewer goals than expected.

Chicago's expected goal (xG) percentage is the second-worst in the league. They aren't likely to have anyone move during the trade deadline because they simply don't have many desirable pieces for a contending team to acquire.

It's easy to see why they are the favorites to finish with the worst record with their best player still expected to miss a significant amount of time. Laying -165 at this point seems a bit steep; I'd maybe wait to see if they get lucky in a game or two and jump on it at a better price.

San Jose Sharks (+140)

Once the overwhelming favorites to finish with the worst record, the San Jose Sharks have done enough to make it an interesting race with the Blackhawks. Of course, they'd likely rather just finish last to have the best chance of landing the first overall pick.

San Jose infamously allowed 10 goals in back-to-back games in October, and it looked like there was no way out of the basement for them. They've definitely improved since then as some of their younger players have started to contribute.

They still have the worst xG% in the league, getting just 41% of the expected goals in their games in all situations. They also allow the most goals per game in the league, but at least that average (3.82) is lower than last season's (3.84).

The Sharks welcomed Logan Couture back to the lineup six games ago. This, in theory, gives them a decent one-two punch down the middle with him and Tomas Hertl. That's much better than what they had earlier in the season and is much better than Chicago even if Bedard is healthy.

Despite allowing so many goals, the Sharks have received competent goaltending. Both Mackenzie Blackwood and Kaapo Kahkonen have been positive in goals saved above expectation. This could change on the drop of a dime with two goalies who have been inconsistent historically, but at least they are giving their team a chance to stay in games.

Unlike Chicago, the Sharks do have some pieces that could be moved at the trade deadline. Any of Mike Hoffman, Anthony Duclair or Alexander Barabanov would be a fine rental as a wing for a contending team needing offense. Kahkonen would also be a goalie for a team needing a bit of help to acquire.

If you want to bet on San Jose having the worst record, now is a good time to do it before they make moves to make the team worse. The +140 odds aren't bad considering they are essentially tied with Chicago currently in the standings.

Looking for more NHL betting opportunities? Check out all of the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.