Two teams with different aspirations in mind heading into the season will collide tonight, with the Vegas Golden Knights visiting the Montreal Canadiens.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Vegas Golden Knights (-205) vs. Montreal Canadiens (+168) Total: 6.5 (O-105, U-115)After missing the playoffs last season, the Golden Knights have been on a mission early on and are one of the NHL’s most dominant franchises. Over their first twelve games, they’ve stood out with a 10-2 record, while the home side Canadiens, are sitting at 5-5-1 in what is viewed as more of a developmental season. These respective clubs met two seasons ago in the conference finals, with the Habs winning in six games, but the switch is now flipped with Vegas owning what should be a sizable advantage in this matchup.
The visiting Golden Knights are listed as -205 favorites on the moneyline, while the Canadiens are priced at+168. Vegas has been playing a defensive structure of hockey that’s found a ton of success, which has seen them rank first in the NHL in goals allowed per game. New head coach Bruce Cassidy brought a new system to the table, and the players are clearly buying in, with the results showing up on the scoresheet.
Looking at the projected goalie matchup tonight, the visiting Golden Knights will likely turn towards Logan Thompson or Adin Hill, while the Canadiens have already confirmed Jake Allen will be between the pipes. Both Golden Knights starters have been lights out this season, posting save percentages above .934, which should give you immense confidence in what they’ll bring to the table this evening in net. Allen hasn’t been quite as good, but you have to factor in the quality of the team in front of him too, which has seen him post a 3-4 record, paired with a .908 save percentage.
Even though the Canadiens have been a stronger team at the Bell Centre, it’s hard to see them winning this game outright. In saying that, the Golden Knights have won six straight overall, and the last three have all been by just one goal, meaning they’re comfortable in playing tight contests. As a result, look for the Canadiens to keep this close and cover the puck line, meaning you should side with the home side at -142.
Best Bet: Canadiens puck line +1.5 (-142)
One of the main things that have been keeping the Canadiens in a lot of hockey games is how strong their goaltending has been. The same can be said for the Golden Knights, meaning we could be in for a low-scoring affair tonight in Montreal. The current total is set at 6.5, with the under having slightly more juice at -115. There will undoubtedly come a point where the Habs have trouble keeping pucks out of their net, but this should be the type of matchup where both teams are comfortable playing a sound defensive game. With that, it’s not hard to look towards the under 6.5 at -115.
Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-115)
After trying to figure things out in his first year with the Vegas Golden Knights last season, Jack Eichel is finally fully healthy and comfortable in his new home. In 12 games, Eichel has already recorded five goals and eight assists, leading the team in scoring. The star center has recorded 15 points in 18 career games against the Habs, meaning it’s not difficult to envision his hot start continuing tonight in this matchup. Eichel is currently priced at +172 to score tonight, and it’s hard to avoid that type of value price on this big slate of games.
Best Prop: Jack Eichel to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+172)
