No. 6 seed Chicago pays a visit to Phoenix on Thursday, as the first round NHL playoff series between these Western Conference rivals kicks off.

The No. 3 seed Coyotes won the Pacific Division and have won three straight this season against Chicago. [ Full Phoenix vs Chicago preview ]

Phoenix currently sports a record of 42-27-13. The Blackhawks are 45-26-11. Betting totals have seen the Coyotes post a 30-39-13 OVER/UNDER record this season, while the Blackhawks have gone 42-39-1 against the number.

View Chicago vs Phoenix Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
If you're going with the Coyotes in this one, they're listed as moneyline favorites of -125 on most hockey betting menus for Monday's contest.

Power Rankings:
The Odds Shark NHL Power Rankings have the Coyotes at No. 16 and the Blackhawks at No. 11 heading into this contest.

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How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Phoenix's No. 17-ranked offense (2.6 goals per game) against a Blackhawks defense that ranks No. 22 at 2.9 goals per game allowed. The Coyotes powerplay has clicked at a 13.5% rate while the Blackhawks have a 78.1% rate on the penalty kill.

Last time out for Chicago, they were a 3-2 winner as they battled the Red Wings on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Blackhawks at +153 were rewarded, while the 5 combined goals moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

In their last action, Phoenix was a 4-1 winner on the road against the Wild. Bettors on Phoenix at -142 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (5) sent PUSH bettors home happy as well.

Chicago Blackhawks Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
Before playing Edmonton are 5-5
After playing Detroit are 3-7
After a win are 6-4

Phoenix Coyotes Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Chicago are 7-3
After playing Minnesota are 4-6
After a win are 5-5

A few Blackhawks at Coyotes trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Chicago's last 11 games on the road
Chicago is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago's last 9 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Phoenix is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games

Next up:
Chicago at Phoenix, Saturday, April 14