Among the six games on the NHL betting board Monday night is a clash between the Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks at 10 p.m. ET at Rogers Arena.
In the first of a two-game set, both teams will be looking to build off key victories in an effort to turn their seasons around. Montreal is coming off a season-high-tying seven-goal performance, while Vancouver took two straight from the North Division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs.
Who will stay hot? Find out with our best free NHL picks and predictions for Canadiens vs. Canucks on March 8.
Montreal Canadiens at Vancouver Canucks betting preview
Injuries
Canadiens: None.
Canucks: Elias Pettersson C (Questionable).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 5-0 in five head-to-head meetings between the Canadiens and Canucks this season. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Canucks.
NHL sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonTwinSpires opened Montreal a -152 favorite, dipped a few cents to -148 and is now at -155, an hour before this 10 p.m. ET faceoff. It's two-way moneyline action, with the Canadiens taking 63 percent of tickets and the Canucks landing 60 percent of cash. The total has been relatively stable at 6 (Over -124), with 64 percent of tickets/66 percent of money on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this gameMoneyline pick
The Canadiens have slowed down considerably after a hot start to the season – which saw them average a whopping 4.40 goals per game over their first 10 – was paying early dividends on their offseason shopping spree. But by mid-February, the new-look Canadiens started slipping, losing five in a row at one point and dismissing head coach Claude Julien in the midst of the skid. Montreal isn't out of the woods yet, but it finally put together an encouraging game for a full 60 minutes in a blowout victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday, winning 7-1 in a much-needed 28-save outing by the struggling Carey Price. The Habs will now get a Canucks team for two straight that’s riding some momentum of their own.
Scuffling even worse than Montreal, Vancouver is only ahead of the basement-dwelling Ottawa Senators in the all-Canadian division. The Canucks’ top-heavy offense has been inconsistent and they’re allowing the fourth-most goals per game in the NHL. They haven’t gotten nearly enough out of their goaltending tandem of Thatcher Demko (who, to his credit, has improved as the season has gone on) and offseason acquisition Braden Holtby, but some positive signs have started to emerge.
The Canucks are coming off two impressive victories over the Leafs, holding Toronto’s elite offense to three total goals, with Demko leading them to victory as underdogs in both contests. Vancouver has now won three of its last four after dropping four straight and losing six in a row not long before that. Since that six-game skid, the Canucks’ goal prevention has improved, allowing the seventh-fewest goals per game at 2.45 and they have enough offensive weapons from Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller to Elias Pettersson (who missed both games versus the Leafs and is questionable Monday) to get going at any time.
Getting them at +130 underdogs despite their improved recent play – particularly between the pipes – makes the Canucks the preferred pick tonight.
PREDICTION: Canucks ML (+130)
Over/Under pick
The two Canadian teams will be playing for the sixth time already this season, with Montreal winning four of the five games and losing the other one in overtime. One thing those games had in common? They all hit the Over.
In the first game back in January, the Canucks and Canadiens combined for 11 goals and followed it up the next night with another 10. Then they went for seven, eight, and eight in the next three meetings. All of those games came during Montreal’s offensive explosion to start the season. They’ve predictably slowed down, averaging 2.42 goals per game since then, but still rank third in the NHL in GF/G and second in shots. The seven-goal outburst was evidence that this team is still capable of piling them up fast.
Vancouver, on the other hand, has struggled on offense for most of the season despite possessing a strong collection of top-end forward talent. The goaltending, as mentioned, has been much better but the Canucks still give up far too many good opportunities, surrendering the highest percentage of goals on high-danger scoring chances in the NHL, and the second-most shots per game.
These teams will eventually lock down defensively when they meet, but for tonight we’ll follow the head-to-head trend and count on them doing more damage to the back of the net.
PREDICTION: Over 6 (-120)
Canadiens vs Canucks betting card
- Canucks (+130)
- Over 6 (-120)
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