Jonathan Drouin, Max Domi, and the Montreal Canadiens will face off against Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena in an Atlantic Division showdown. The match will get underway at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 29 and it can be caught live on CBC Sports.
Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning Odds
This contest’s moneyline and Over/Under odds have not been posted by oddsmakers yet.
Tampa Bay is 29-9 straight up (SU) and has earned 13.3 units for moneyline bettors this season. That winning percentage, strongest in the league so far in this young season, is an improvement compared to what the team did during the 2017-18 season (54-28). Among its 38 games this season, 22 have gone over the total, while 14 have gone under and just two have pushed. This year, the team’s 16-4 SU at home.
The Lightning come into the matchup with the best power-play unit in the NHL, as they have converted on 29.8 percent of their extra-man opportunities this year. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked seventh overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 83.2 percent of all penalties.
Boasting a .924 save percentage and 30.9 saves per game, Andrei Vasilevskiy (13-5-2) has been the primary option in goal for the Bolts this year. If head coach Jon Cooper chooses to give him the night off, however, Tampa Bay could turn to Louis Domingue (15-4-4 record, .904 save percentage, 2.99 goals against average).
On the other hand, Montreal is 20-18 straight up (SU) and has netted 2.8 units for moneyline bettors this season. A total of 19 of its matches have gone over the total, while 17 have gone under the total and just one has pushed. The Canadiens are 10-9 SU as a road team this season.
The Canadiens have converted on just 13.3 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a figure that places them in the bottom- overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 24th overall and it’s successfully defended 77.2 percent of all opponent power plays.
Carey Price (26.2 saves per game) has been the primary option in goal for Montreal. Price has 15 wins, 15 losses, and four OT losses to his credit, and has registered a .904 save percentage and 2.84 goals against average this year.
Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Picks
NHL Prediction: SU Winner – Lightning, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- The Canadiens are 2-0 in games decided by a shootout this season while the Lightning are 3-0 in shootouts.
- For both of these clubs, the game went over the total in each of their past five matchups.
- Two clubs that shoot the puck early and often, Montreal has attempted the league’s fifth-most shots on goal (34.2) while Tampa Bay has attempted the fifth-most (33.7).
- Over Montreal’s last ten games, six of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 4-2 in those games).
- This game features two of the tougher defenses in the league. Montreal skaters have given out the second-most hits in the league (27.8 per game) while the Lightning have registered the ninth-most (24.1).
