Canadiens vs. Blues Prediction, NHL Odds: Habs Pegged as Road Underdogs
The Montreal Canadiens look to remain unbeaten on their current four-game Western swing when they visit the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night in NHL betting action at Enterprise Center. The Habs have posted back-to-back wins over Chicago and Winnipeg to kick off their current road trip, capped by Sunday’s 2-1 victory over the Jets in Sunday’s Heritage Classic, and have now picked up at least a point in four of five road dates this season. The Blues look to rebound from their first regulation loss of the season on home ice, a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Carolina on Saturday, halting a two-game win streak, and have been limited to two or fewer goals in three of their past four contests.
The Blues have emerged as slender -120 favourites on Tuesday’s NHL odds while the Canadiens are listed as +100 underdogs, and the total is pegged at 6.
Canadiens vs. Blues NHL Betting Odds
The Canadiens have struggled in recent dates with the Blues, losing three straight and five of six including three consecutive losses in St. Louis, capped by a 2-0 loss in January. Overall, the Habs have potted just four total goals during their 0-3-0 run against the Blues and have fallen to defeat by multi-goal margins three times during their 1-5-0 head-to-head run. But with the Blues averaging 4.50 goals per game in their past six versus Montreal, the OVER has continued to pay out steadily in NHL totals betting, going 7-1 over their past eight meetings.
Overall, the Habs have made the best of their recent opportunities, claiming victory in overtime or the shootout three times over their current 5-1-1 run. And while a recent rash of injuries has raised concerns about who will lead the attack, the CH have enjoyed the benefit of stellar goaltending from Jacob Fowler, who has surrendered just two goals on 55 total shots over the past two games.
The Blues have also faced challenges generating consistent offence. The club has scored more than two goals just four times during their 5-5-1 start and have followed up on two high-scoring performances on home ice with disappointing performances. The Blues have also been rocked in each of their five regular defeats to date, in which they have surrendered 4.80 goals per game.
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens have continued to win despite losing Ivan Demidov and captain Nick Suzuki to injury, and have benefitted from the performance of role players who have stepped up. Jake Evans emerged as the hero in Friday’s 4-1 win in Chicago, potting a pair of goals and one helper while it was the defensive corps that chipped in on Sunday, with Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle finding the target. Cole Caufield has certainly missed Suzuki, and has failed to score in his absence, but assisted on both goals on Sunday, marking his fourth multi-point performance in six games. Juraj Slafkovsky has potted a goal and four helpers over the past four games but has recorded just one total point in five road appearances to date.
St. Louis Blues
The Blues will be looking for a considerably better performance after being shut out 4-0 by the Hurricanes. St. Louis struggled to sustain offensive pressure against the defending champs, who scored twice within 20 seconds during the second period and added a power-play goal in the third. Head coach Jim Montgomery called the defeat a “humbling experience” and pointed to Carolina’s commitment to its defensive system as an example of the consistency his team needs to develop. Dylan Holloway has been among the team’s most productive forwards, recording six points over his last five contests while Jimmy Snuggerud has supplied three goals over that stretch. Connor McMichael will be looking to end a lengthy scoring drought. McMichael has not scored since October 8, but has tallied three goals and two assists in 11 career meetings with Montreal. Injuries remain a concern. Defencemen Logan Mailloux, Tyler Tucker and Torey Krug join forwards Alexey Toropchenko, Ross Johnston and Dillon Dube in the clinic.
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