Montreal Canadiens vs. Nashville Predators Prediction, NHL Odds
In search of a fourth consecutive win, the Montreal Canadiens begin a five-game road trip in Nashville on Saturday, taking on the Predators.
The Habs have not strung four wins together since early October, and with 11 games left on the schedule, there is no better time to get hot. Both squads are fighting to clinch a spot in the postseason, as Montreal sits third in their division, while Nashville has snuck into a wildcard spot in the West.
The NHL Odds have the Habs as the -120 road favourites, with the OVER/UNDER set at 6.5 goals. The puck drops at 7:00 pm EST from Bridgestone Arena.
Canadiens vs. Predators NHL Betting Odds
The Canadiens have beaten the Predators in four straight meetings, including a 3-2 overtime win back in October. Cole Caufield single-handedly robbed the Preds in that game, tying it with 20 seconds left and potting the overtime winner with just two seconds on the clock.
Over the past three seasons, this matchup has been low-scoring, hitting the UNDER in four of their past five games.
Montreal’s offence has been on fire all season, averaging 3.51 goals per game and has scored 14 in their past three games. The team has been better on the other side of the puck lately as well, giving up an average of 2.2 goals per game over their past five games.
The Preds just had a season-high five-game heater snapped on Thursday, a streak that propelled them into a playoff spot. Their goalie tandem was lights out in that stretch, allowing just two goals per game, while the offence scored more than three in each outing.
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens have been playing in high-stakes, playoff-like situations for the past week or more and have done the job well, keeping them above that playoff line in the East. Each of their past three wins has come differently, whether it is a third-period comeback, an offensive outburst, or a defensive 2-1 win like the one they pulled off on Thursday.
Thursday’s 2-1 win over Columbus was huge for the squad, as some unlikely heroes stepped up and the netminder had himself a night. Jakub Dobes stopped 25 of 26 shots and was perfect in the second and third periods, when the Habs were getting peppered. Jayden Struble scored his first of the year, and Zack Bolduc (11th) netted the game-winner in the third period as the secondary scoring got the win for the Habs.
Cole Caufield is still on Rocket Richard watch, sitting four back of the league lead with 44 tucks. He has earned the nickname “Mr. Saturday Night” this season after scoring 19 goals in the 20 Saturday games this season. His hat-trick last Saturday suggests he is not slowing down.
Nashville Predators
The Predators have been a surprise to everyone this season, climbing into a playoff spot after going 7-3-1, over their past 11 games. After finishing with the third-worst record in the league last season, this was supposed to be a feeler season, but with the Western Conference looking as bad as it has over the past month and a half, Nashville could get in.
After a five-game heater, the Preds fell short on Thursday, taking a 4-2 loss at home versus the New Jersey Devils. After falling behind at the midway point of the game, the Preds battled back to tie it, scoring two in less than two minutes, sending it to the third period at 2-2. The Devils scored on the power play to take the lead before adding an empty-netter for the 4-2 final.
Nashville currently sits in fifth place in the Central Division and the second wild card spot, just one point ahead of the LA Kings. Our NHL Futures Board has the Predators paying out +135 to make the playoffs. Looking at their schedule, they hit the road for six straight starting Sunday, which features two games against the Kings, which would likely decide their fate.
