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The Tampa Bay Lightning will travel to Canada to face the Montreal Canadiens. It will be a battle at the Bell Centre as we continue our NHL odds series and make a Lightning-Canadiens prediction and pick.
The Lightning are 60-52-6 against the Canadiens all-time. Recently, the Bolts are 7-3 over their past 10 games against the Habs, including 3-2 in the past five games at the Bell Centre. But the Canadiens have beaten the Lightning twice this season.
Here are the Lightning-Canadiens NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Lightning-Canadiens Odds
Tampa Bay Lightning: -1.5 (+152)
Moneyline: -160
Montreal Canadiens: +1.5 (-188
Moneyline: +132
Over: 6.5 (+104)
Under: 6.5 (-118)
How To Watch Lightning vs Canadiens
Time: 1 PM ET/10 AM PT
TV: NHL Network and FanDuel Sports South
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Lightning Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Lightning needs more depth and might be looking for a trade as they attempt to stay in the playoff race and avoid missing the postseason for the first time since 2o17. Significantly, the Bolts have some flaws that may harm them, and it has against the Habs twice this season. Both of their losses against the Canadiens resulted in them scoring two goals in each. Conversely, they allowed five at Amalie Arena and three at the Bell Centre last time.
The Bolts got off to a great start last time, getting a goal from Nikita Kucherov and a tally from Jake Guentzel. However, everything started to unravel soon after. They allowed two goals to the Habs, allowing them to chip away at the trim lead. Finally, they let Jake Evans finish it off with a game-winning goal.
The Lightning finished with 35 shots on goal. Additionally, they won 51 percent of the faceoffs. But the Bolts also struggled to convert their chances on the powerplay. That must change if the Lightning are to win this game.
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Andrei Vasilevskiy was the starting goalie last time, making 19 saves while allowing two goals. However, they also went 1 for 2 on the penalty kill. The Bolts also leveled 18 hits and blocked 15 shots. With Vasilevskiy starting on Saturday, Brandon Halverson may get the start and make the start for the Bolts, with backup goalie Jonas Johansson currently nursing an injury. But there is a chance the Lightning will start Vasilevskiy on consecutive nights with the Four Nations Faceoff two-week break coming up.
The Lightning will cover the spread if they can shoot the puck efficiently and generate more scoring. Then, the defense cannot collapse down the stretch and make life easier for their goalie.
Why the Canadiens Could Cover the Spread/Win
Despite being in the playoff race, the Canadiens might be sellers at the trade deadline and may seem to be ready to ship some players out. They have been competitive this season, but it has not translated into a significant improvement. But they have beaten the Lightning twice this season and will look to do it again.
Patrik Laine recently endured a benching and must show he can do all the little things to avoid that happening again. He will be a critical player in this one, as he can be a scoring option when the Habs need it. When the Canadiens played the Lightning last month, they fell behind 2-0 early. Then, Juraf Slafkovsky cut the lead with a powerplay goal just over five minutes into the second period. Alex Newhook evened the game just two minutes later to make it 2-2 into the third. Evans finished it off in the third.
The Canadiens only needed 22 shots on goal. Also, they won 49 percent of the faceoffs. But the Habs also went 1 for 2 on the powerplay, converting on limited chances.
Sam Montembeault made 33 saves while allowing two goals. Furthermore, they killed all four penalties while leveling 23 hits and blocking 11 shots. With Montembeault starting on Saturday, the Habs will turn to rookie Jakub Dobes.
The Canadiens will cover the spread if they can get some scoring from Laine and Cole Caufield. Then, they need some shot blocking and a good performance from Dobes.
Final Lightning-Canadiens Prediction & Pick
The Lightning are 26-27 against the spread, while the Canadiens are 30-24 against the spread. Moreover, the Bolts are 12-14 against the spread on the road, while the Habs are 16-11 against the spread at home. The Lightning are 23-26-4 against the over/under, while the Canadiens are 26-25-3 against the over/under.
Both teams are playing on the second of a back-to-back. Ultimately, the legs will be tired, and I think that will play a critical role in the final results for this game. I am going to roll with the under to hit in this game.
Final Lightning-Canadiens Prediction & Pick: Under: 6.5 (-118)
