Carolina Hurricanes vs. Montreal Canadiens Prediction, NHL Odds
Carolina has won three games in a row coming into this matchup, with a healthy 10-point lead in the Metropolitan Division. Buffalo is sneaking up on them atop the Eastern Conference, with the Canes ahead by just one point. Montreal’s big Saturday night performance sprung them back into third in the Atlantic, but Boston is right there with 86 points of their own.
The NHL Odds have the Canes as the -140 favourite at home, with the OVER/UNDER set at an even 6 goals. Puck drop from the Bell Centre is set for 7:00 pm EST.
Canadiens vs. Hurricanes NHL Betting Odds
Carolina has taken seven of the past 10 meetings with the Habs, but Montreal has won the past two, including a 7-5 win to open this season series. Tuesday will be the second of three meetings of their season series, which will wrap up on Sunday.
The Canadiens erased a 4-2 deficit on New Year’s Day, winning the contest 7-5, on the back of their three young studs. Juraj Slafkovsky (1G, 1A), Ivan Demidov (2A) and Lane Hutson (1G, 1A) each put up two points in the win.
Of their past 10 matchups, just four games have hit the OVER.
Carolina has been a tough bet to cover this season at 27-43 ATS, but has split their past 10, 5-5. They have been in high-scoring games recently, hitting the OVER in six of their past 10.
Betting the OVER on the Habs has been fortuitous this season, hitting the OVER in 40 of their 69 games this season. Rocking with the third-highest scoring offence at 3.51 goals per game for most of the season. Montreal has also been cash on the spread this season, covering in 40 contests.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal took home a huge two points on Saturday night, beating the New York Islanders 7-3 on home ice. Both teams desperately needed points to keep in the playoff race, making this matchup a must-win on both sides.
The game was back and forth until the third period, featuring four lead changes in the first 44 minutes of play. The Habs top line completely took over the game, showing why they are one of the best trios in the league. Juraj Slafkovsky (2G, 2A), Nick Suzuki (4A) and Cole Caufield (3G, 2A) combined for 13 points in the game.
Caufield now sits at 43 goals on the season, putting him second in league scoring, just two behind Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. With 13 games left in the season, Caufield is now eyeing 50 goals and would become the first Hab to hit that mark since Guy Lafleur in 1979-80. His odds to win the Rocket Richard are +300 on the NHL Futures Board.
Montreal’s third-place spot in the Atlantic is far from comfortable, as the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators are all within three points of catching them.
Carolina Hurricanes
After squeaking out back-to-back overtime wins, the Canes showed dominance in their most recent outing, smashing the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1. The regulation win was huge as the Penguins sit in second place in the Metropolitan and have the ability to get red hot and close the gap.
Carolina kicked off the game with a goal just 47 seconds in, a power-play goal from Sebastian Aho, his 25th of the season. The first period would end 1-0, but the Hurricanes popped off for three goals in the second to take a 4-0 lead into the final frame. The Pens would score one in the final five minutes, before Mark Jankowski would throw one in the empty net to seal the deal.
Seth Jarvis had a goal and a pair of assists to give him six points in his past three. Nikolaj Ehlers has two assists, getting his monthly total to 14 points (6G, 8A) through 11 games in March.
Check out our NHL Futures Board for Hurricanes lines that provide great value. They are the third favourite for the Stanley Cup, paying out +550. They have been at the top of that list all season, but have failed to get past the Conference finals seven years straight. They are also second to win the Eastern Conference, despite leading the race for most of the season. Grab them at a +220 while you can.
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