An inter-conference clash will take place later this evening when the Montreal Canadiens make an annual trip to Denver to face off with the Colorado Avalanche. Join us for our NHL odds series where our Canadiens-Avalanche prediction and pick will be revealed.
Although postseason play is not in the cards for this year's Montreal Canadiens squad, they are still a gritty and resilient bunch that has the chance to beat anyone any given night. Despite an underwhelming 26-32-12 record and a 13-15-8 mark out on the road, Montreal was at least able to snap a lengthy four-game losing streak by defeating the Seattle Kraken by a score of 5-1. Do the Canadiens have what it takes to earn back-to-back wins for the first time since the middle of January?
Don't look now, but the Stanley Cup Champions from two years ago are a handful to deal with night in and night out. Entering play with a dominant 46-20-5 record to go along with a near flawless 28-6-0 mark on their home ice, this Avs squad is fast, smart, and most importantly, experienced. Most recently, it was Colorado that defied the odds by earning a 5-4 come from behind victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime after the Avalanche trailed the ‘Pens 4-0 early in the second period.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Canadiens-Avalanche Odds
Montreal Canadiens: +1.5 (-142)
Moneyline: +340
Colorado Avalanche: -1.5 (-172)
Moneyline: -450
Over: 6.5 (-120)
Under: 6.5 (-102)
How to Watch Canadiens vs. Avalanche
Time: 9:10 ET/6:10PT
TV: ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Canadiens Will Cover The Spread/Win
While the odds may be stacked against them, sports have given us examples of underdogs finding a way to win time and time again. Most especially, the game of hockey is one where all it takes is a couple lucky bounces and a win may be headed your way.
For starters, if Montreal is going to secure a rare road victory and make this a ballgame, then be on the lookout for the defense to continue to step up in a big way. All season long, the Canadiens' defense has had more holes in it than Swiss Cheese. On average, Montreal, surrenders 3.40 goals per game, but they did happen to play in stout fashion during the 5-1 win over Seattle where the team held the Kraken in check all night long. Bafflingly enough, the Kraken happened to out-shoot the Canadians 37-17, but the outstanding effort by goalie Cayden Primeau in the crease was impressive to say the least. By the time the clock hit triple zeroes, it was Primeau that was awarded with the third-star of the game shortly after thanks to his 36 saves on the 37 shots he faced.
The defense now has a solid performance under their belts, but the offense is the one that also needs to step up their game. With only goals scored in their last three road games, the Canadiens will arguably need all hands on deck to pull off the upset. All in all, leading points getter Nick Suzuki may need to have a big night. With at least one point in four of his last five games, Suzuki may be the man run charge of leading an offensive explosion on that end of the ice.
Why The Avalanche Will Cover The Spread/Win
It's simply no coincidence. With how electric and dangerous this offense can be with the puck in their possession, it is hard to imagine any defensive effort being able to obtain any type of success against this group. As it stands, no team in all of hockey scores as much as Colorado does.
On paper, Colorado averages an unimaginable 3.72 goals per game and have scored a total of 11 goals in their previous two games combined. Obviously enough, a big reason for this massive emergence offensively is due to center Nathan MacKinnon who may just be having the greatest season of his illustrious professional career. Currently slated as the front runner to win the Hart Memorial Trophy for the first time in his career, Mackinnon has erupted for a whopping 122 points this year which is second to only Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Furthermore, his ability to get his teammates involved on nearly every single offensive possession is a sight to behold for all hockey lovers. Hands down, the 28-year-old from Halifax, Nova Scotia is the best player on the ice and should be able to give the Canadiens fits in this one.
Most importantly, getting off to a much better start on Tuesday will be vital after the Avalanche appeared to be sleep walking in the first period-plus against the Penguins. Somehow, the Avs still found a way. However, this is still not a clear recipe for success and Colorado needs to get off to a better start in this one to avoid giving Montreal a surplus of confidence out of the gates.
Final Canadiens-Avalanche Prediction & Pick
All together, the Avalanche have had their way with the Canadiens in recent years. In their last ten matchups, Colorado is 7-3 versus Montreal. Expect this trend to continue in this clash out on the ice.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Canadiens-Avalanche Prediction & Pick: Avalanche -1.5 (+172)
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