Montreal Canadiens vs. Detroit Red Wings Prediction, NHL Odds

Payton Matthews | Updated Jan 22, 2025

NHL: Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens

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We have Original Six action on Thursday night as the Montreal Canadiens visit the Detroit Red Wings.

Montreal
31-27-5-2
AT
January 23, 2025, 7:00 PM ET
Little Caesars Arena
Detroit
31-29-6
Puckline +1.5 -235
Moneyline +105
Over / Under o +6
Matchup Odds
Puckline -1.5 +195
Moneyline -125
Over / Under u +6
Matchup Odds

Detroit opened as -140 favourites on the NHL odds with a total of 5.5 goals.

Canadiens vs. Red Wings NHL Betting Odds

Both of these historic franchises have missed the playoffs for several seasons in a row and both may again this season with negative goal differentials. However, both have been playing better hockey for the most part in recent weeks.

Thursday marks the third of four regular-season meetings with the series concluding on April 8 in Montreal – it’s not out of the question that the series winner could hold a crucial Wild-Card tiebreaker. The Canadiens swept a home-and-home with the Red Wings back in the 2024 portion of the schedule, prevailing 4-3 in Motown on Dec. 20 and then 5-1 at home the next night.

It’s rather unusual for an NHL goaltender to play back-to-back nights these days, but Sam Montembeault won both those games against Detroit with a 2.01 GAA and .918 SV. Lane Hutson (3A), Emil Heineman (2G, 1A) and Jake Evans (2G, 1A) lead the Canadiens with three points each in the series. Montreal native Joe Veleno (2G) and Michael Rasmussen (2A) lead the Wings with two points each. Alex Lyon and Cam Talbot each lost their turn in net.

Detroit is still 6-4 in the past 10 meetings and the over-under is 5-4-1.

Montreal Canadiens

This is one of those tricky one-game trips for Montreal in an otherwise home-heavy schedule. The Habs won their second in a row and for the fourth time in five games Tuesday, a 3-2 home upset of Tampa Bay despite trailing 2-0 in early the second. Juraj Slafkovsky’s seventh goal of the season started the comeback, Alex Newhook’s ninth tied it at 7:21 of the second, and Jake Evans’ 11th won it at 17:45. Blueliner Lane Hutson had an assist to extend his point streak to nine games and tie the second-longest run by a rookie in Canadiens history. Only Joe Malone had a longer stretch of 14 in a row in the 1917-18 campaign. Hutson now has 41 points and passed P.K. Subban for the fourth-most points by a Canadiens rookie defenceman. Chris Chelios holds the mark of 66. Sam Montembeault stopped 32 of 33 shots for his career-high 17th win of the season, but if recent history is a hint then it will be rookie Jakub Dobes (5-0-0, 1.55 GAA, .940 SV) in net on Thursday. On the road, he’s 4-0-0 with a 0.98 GAA. Montreal is 5-1 in its past six against the Eastern Conference.

Detroit Red Wings

Detroit lost its third game in a row – all on the road – Tuesday, 2-1 in overtime in Philadelphia and the Red Wings have only scored one goal in each of those losses. Despite a very good group of forwards led by former Hart Trophy winner Patrick Kane, the offence has been an issue most of the season as the Wings are near the bottom of the league in averaging 2.79 goals per game. Dylan Larkin leads with 20 but hasn’t scored during the skid. Alex Lyon has started the past two in net, meaning it should be former Oilers, Flames and Senators (among other teams) goalie Cam Talbot in this one. The 37-year-old Ontario native is 11-10-2 with a 3.07 GAA and .901 SV. He had a personal five-game winning streak snapped last Saturday when he allowed five goals in a loss at Tampa Bay. The Wings are 5-1 in their past six at home.

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Canadiens vs. Red Wings?

NHL Predictions
SportsInteraction
  • MON
  • +105 -125
  • DET
Matchup NHL Odds