Bell Centre will play host to an Original Six matchup as the Montreal Canadiens take on the visiting Detroit Red Wings. The opening face-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, March 26, and you can watch it live on Reseau Des Sports.
Detroit Red Wings at Montreal Canadiens Odds
Montreal (-150) is currently favored over Detroit (+130) and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals. The line for betting that total stands at -110 for the over and -110 for the under.
Montreal is 27-49 straight up (SU) and has lost 24.9 units for moneyline bettors this year. That early-season winning percentage is a big slide from what the team managed during last year’s regular season (47-35). Out of its 76 regular season outings, 41 of them have gone under the total, while 33 have gone over and just two have pushed. This year, the team is 17-21 SU at home.
The Canadiens have converted on 20.4 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, their penalty kill is rated 31st overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 74.4 percent of all penalties.
The Canadiens, as a collective unit, have been penalized 3.8 times per game overall this season, 3.8 per game over their past five games total, and 4.0 per game over their last five home outings. The team has been forced to kill penalties for 12.0 minutes per contest over their last five home games.
With a .901 save percentage and 27.3 saves per game, Carey Price (15-30-6) has been the best option in goal for the Habs this season. If head coach Claude Julien chooses to give him the night off, however, Montreal may turn to Antti Niemi (6-16-16 record, .916 save percentage, 3.02 goals against average).
Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk will both lead the offensive attack for the Canadiens. Gallagher (47 points) has tallied 28 goals and 19 assists and has recorded two or more points seven times this year. Galchenyuk has 17 goals and 29 assists to his name and has notched a point in 33 contests.
Over on the other bench, Detroit is 27-48 straight up (SU) and has lost 18.1 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year. A total of 43 of its matches have gone under the total, while 30 have gone over and just two have pushed. As the visiting team, the Red Wings are 13-25 SU.
The Red Wings have converted on just 17.2 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that’s ranked 24th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 22nd overall and it’s successfully killed off 78.5 percent of all penalties.
Detroit’s players have been penalized 3.7 times per game this season, and 4.6 per game over their last five on the road. The team has been forced to stave off opponent power plays 13.2 minutes per contest over their last five road games.
Jimmy Howard (26.6 saves per game) has been the main choice in the net for Detroit. Howard owns a 19-37-8 record, while registering a .909 save percentage and 2.88 goals against average this year.
Dylan Larkin (12 goals, 42 assists) has been one of the most vital offensive facilitators for the visiting Red Wings.
Detroit Red Wings vs. Montreal Canadiens Betting Predictions
Pick: SU Winner – Canadiens, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Trends
Over Montreal’s last ten outings, nine of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 2-7 in those games).
Power plays and penalty kills may prove to be key tonight. The Red Wings are 9-16 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 19-31 when they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 total minutes. The Canadiens are 10-14 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 20-32 when their penalty minutes are in the single digits.
Detroit is 5-1 in games decided by a shootout this season while Montreal is 2-6 in shootouts.
The under has hit in three of Montreal’s last five games.
Montreal is ranked 29th this season with 12.2 giveaways per game. That figure has trended lower lately, however, as the team’s averaged 9.8 giveaways over its last 10 games and 9.4 giveaways over its last five.
Detroit is ranked 25th this season with 10.4 giveaways per game. That figure has trended down, however, as it’s averaged 8.4 giveaways over its last 10 games and 8.8 giveaways over its last five.
The Habs this season have handed the second-most hits in the league (26.2 per game), but that average has jumped up to 32.2 over their past five home outings.
*****
