Canadiens vs. Wild Odds
| Canadiens Odds | +176 |
| Wild Odds | -215 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 +100 / -122 |
Here's everything you need to know about Canadiens vs Wild on Thursday, Dec. 21 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
We hit Montreal's moneyline on Monday as it took down the Winnipeg Jets as +190 underdogs. Will the Habs pull off the upset once again, or can Minnesota take care of business on home ice?
Let's dig into the NHL odds and make a Canadiens vs Wild prediction and pick.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal is coming off two straight upset victories as it beat the New York Islanders 5-3 on Saturday and Winnipeg 3-2 on Monday. Goaltender Sam Montembeault is confirmed as the starter on Thursday, and I believe he will keep the upset-streak going.
Montembeault has flown under the radar as one of the better netminders in the league this season. Through 14 appearances between the pipes, he is 7-4-2 with a .911 SV% and 2.80 GAA.
Yes, Montreal has had its issues offensively, but it ranks right next to Minnesota in expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60) at 5-on-5. The better players on this team, like Cole Caufield and Josh Anderson, have undoubtedly struggled.
However, those are two talented players who won't underperform for too much longer, and we should expect positive regression as the season continues.
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Minnesota Wild
As I alluded to above, the Wild's offense is due for regression. At 5-on-5, they rank 24th in xGF/60.
This expected regression could come to fruition against a hot goaltender in Montembeault. Speaking of goaltenders, Filip Gustavsson is expected to get the start on Thursday.
He is coming off a very poor outing against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a game in which he allowed four goals on 30 shots for a mere .867 SV%. We could see yet another poor performance from Gustavsson against Montreal, a team he has seemingly failed to figure out.
Through three career starts against the Habs, Gustavsson is 0-2-1 with a .885 SV% and 3.95 GAA. Finally, this is a let down spot for Minnesota as it is coming off a big upset victory in overtime over the Boston Bruins.
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Canadiens vs. Wild
Betting Pick & Prediction
This line is just too good to pass up in this spot. Will the Habs pull it off? Who knows, but it is closer to a coin flip than the moneyline suggests.
Montembeault can keep any game close, especially against a Wild offense that ranks 20th in goals scored per game. Montreal appears to have a clear goaltending advantage in this contest, and if Montembeault can keep this affair close, then +180 turns into a very live number against a team that is relatively average.
I would play this number down to +170, which should be widely available across the market.
Pick: Canadiens ML (+180 at DraftKings | Play to +170)
