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It is the Boston Bruins home opener as they face the Montreal Canadiens. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Canadiens-Bruins prediction and pick.
The Montreal Canadiens will open the season on Wednesday night, hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canadiens are coming off a difficult season. They finished last year 30-36-16, which places them in eighth place in the Atlantic division and 15th in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, the Bruins opened the season with a loss. They would visit the Florida Panthers in their first game of the year, and it was a struggle early on. The Bruins allowed four goals in the first period, going down 4-1. They would be down 6-2 after an Evan Rodrigues goal in the third period. Trent Frederic and David Pastrnak both scored in the third period, but the Bruins fell 6-4.
Here are the Canadiens-Bruins NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Devils-Sabres Odds
Montreal Canadiens: +1.5 (-118)
Moneyline: +205
Boston Bruins: -1.5 (-102)
Moneyline: -255
Over: 6.5 (+106)
Under: 6.5 (-130)
How To Watch Canadiens vs Bruins
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Canadiens Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Canadiens return their top line from last year featuring Ncik Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky. Suzuki led the team in points and goals last year. He has 33 goals, 44 assists, and 77 total points. Further, he was solid on the power play with 12 goals and 19 assists on the power play last year. Cole Caufield was second on the team in points last year. He has 28 goals, 37 assists, and 65 total points. Slafkovsky rounds out the top line. He has 20 goals and 30 assists for a total of 50 points, good for fourth on the team.
Alex Newhook returns to the second line for the Canadiens. He played just 55 games last year but has 15 goals, 19 assists, and a total of 34 points. He will be joined by Kirby Dach. Dach played in 58 games, scoring 14 goals and 24 assists in the 2022-23 season. Still, he played just two games last year, with two assists. Mike Matheson also returns at the blue line for the Canadiens. He played in all 82 games last year, having 11 goals and 51 assists last year. He also had five goals and 23 assists on the power play.
With Sam Montembeault playing on Wednesday night, it will be Cayden Primeau in the net. He was 8-9-4 last year with a 2.99 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. He struggled at the end of the year last year. He appeared in five games in April, giving up 18 goals, and having a 3.91 goals-against average. Further, the Canadiens did not win any of those five games, losing in overtime twice.
Why the Bruins Could Cover the Spread/Win
Elias Lindholm joins the Boston Bruins this year. Lindholm will be joining the top line with Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak. Lindholm played for the Flames and Canucks last year. He scored 15 goals with 29 assists last year for the two teams. He had his first points on the year in game one with an assist. Pastrnak was solid last year for the Bruins. He has 47 goals with 63 assists for 110 points to lead the team. Further, he had 12 goals and 23 assists on the power play last year. Pastrnak had a goal in game one. Pavel Zacha had 21 goals, 38 assists, and 59 total points last year. Zacha also scored in the first game of the year.
Brand Marchand and Charlie Coyle sit on the second line. Marchand had 29 goals and 38 assists last year, good for 67 total points, second on the team. He also has seven goals and 19 assists on the power play. Coyle scored 25 times last year with 35 assists, good for 60 points, third on the team. Finally, they bring back top defenseman Charlie McAvoy. He scored 12 times last year while having 35 assists on the year. McAvoy was solid in the first game of the year, scoring a goal and having an assist.
With Joonas Korpisalo starting the first game, Jeremy Swayman is expected to start this one. Swayman was 25-10-8 last year with a 2.53 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. He was eighth in the NHL in goals-against average, and fifth in save percentage last season. He played twice against the Canadiens last year, giving up five goals in the two games. The Bruins won once and lost in overtime in the second one.
Final Canadiens-Bruins Prediction & Pick
The Montreal Canadiens are coming off a game on Wednesday night and playing the next day on the road. The odds in this Thursday night NHL tilt with the Canadiens and Bruins favor the Bruins heavily. That is mainly due to Jeremy Swayman in goal. He is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL and should be able to shut down the Canadiens, who will continue to struggle to score. Montreal scored just 2.83 goals per game last year, and have not improved their attack.
Final Canadiens-Bruins Prediction & Pick: Bruins -1.5 (-102)
