NHL Best Bets: Jets vs. Canadiens Game Picks

by

Jan 17, 2023

Two Canadian clubs will collide at the Bell Centre, with the Montreal Canadiens hosting the Winnipeg Jets.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Winnipeg Jets (-260) vs. Montreal Canadiens (+210) Total: 6 (O -118, U -105)

The Jets have bounced back after an underwhelming year and are back in the conversation at the top of the Central Division under Rick Bowness. Winnipeg has posted three straight victories and is 8-2 over their last ten games, while the Canadiens are 3-7 over that same sample size, coming off a win against the New York Rangers. 

It sounds bad, but you don’t often see the Montreal Canadiens win back-to-back games. There has been a lot of trouble with this team regarding consistency, whether that’s goal-scoring, defensive play, or lackluster goaltending. As a result, it’s not surprising the Canadiens are sizable home underdogs at +210 on the moneyline, while the Jets are -260. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Jets are expected to continue riding Connor Hellebuyck, while the Canadiens should do the same with Samuel Montembeault. The Jets netminder has been solid, posting a 22-10-1 record with a .926 save percentage. Montembeault is coming off a strong weekend and sits 8-7-2 with a .910 save percentage. 

With the Jets’ overall consistency and recent solid play, it’s hard to look away from them tonight. The Canadiens are playing their third game in four nights and are returning home from the road. Targeting the soaring Jets on the puck line has some value at -102.

Best Bet: Jets Puck Line -1.5 (-102) 

The Canadiens struggle to score goals and at preventing them. Meanwhile, the Jets currently sit tenth in goals scored per game and are one of the stronger defensive teams, landing second in goals allowed per game. Over the Canadiens’ last five games, two have seen six or more goals scored, while the Jets have seen that happen in three of their previous five. These teams faced off earlier this year, combining to score five goals. With the way both goalies are playing, expect the under six to hit.

Best Bet: Under six (-105) 

The Jets have been a higher-scoring team than many projected entering the year. Their most consistent offensive threat has been Kyle Connor, who’s already tallied 53 points in 44 games. In addition, Connor leads the Jets with four goals over their last five games. Connor has been one of the NHL’s most consistent goal scorers over the previous few seasons and is already up to 21 goals on the campaign. With a juicy matchup against the Canadiens, Connor has an excellent value price of +144 to score. 

Best Prop: Kyle Connor to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+144) 

Thumbnail photo via Terrence Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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