Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and the Chicago Blackhawks are set to face off against Max Domi, Jonathan Drouin, and the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre for an Original Six showdown. The game will get underway at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 16, and you’ll be able to catch it live on WGN Channel 9.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Montreal Canadiens Odds
Moneyline and Over/Under (O/U) odds have not yet been posted for this matchup.
Montreal is 37-34 straight up (SU) and has netted moneyline bettors 4.0 units this year. That early-season winning percentage is a welcomed turnaround from what the team managed during the 2017-18 season (29-53). Among its 71 games this season, 30 have gone under the total, while 30 have gone over and just four have pushed. This season, the team is 20-15 SU at home.
The Canadiens have converted on just 12.2 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that places them in the bottom- overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 16th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 80.5 percent of all penalties.
Averaging 27.1 saves per game with a .915 save percentage, Carey Price (29-27-5) has been the primary option in goal for the Habs this year. If head coach Claude Julien decides to give him the evening off, however, the team might go with Antti Niemi (8-9-9 record, .887 save percentage, 3.78 goals against average).
On the visitors’ side of the ice, Chicago is 31-39 straight up (SU) and has lost 0.6 units for moneyline bettors this year. 47 of its games have gone over the total, while 19 have gone under the total and just four have pushed. The Blackhawks are 15-20 SU as the road team this season.
The Blackhawks have converted on 20.8 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 31st overall and it’s successfully killed off 73.3 percent of all opponent power plays.
Cam Ward (.893 save percentage and 3.72 goals against average) has been the primary option in goal for Chicago. Ward is averaging 29.7 saves per game and has 14 wins, 16 losses, and four OT losses to his credit.
Chicago Blackhawks at Montreal Canadiens Betting Predictions
Prediction: SU Winner – Canadiens, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- Over Chicago’s last ten games, four of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 1-3 in those games).
- The Blackhawks are 11-16 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 24-30 in games where they serve fewer than 10 total penalty minutes.
- Chicago is 2-1 in games decided by a shootout this season while Montreal is 2-0 in shootouts.
- The under has hit in three of Montreal’s last five games.
- Chicago is ranked 13th this season with 9.7 giveaways per game. That figure’s trended higher lately, as the team’s averaged 13.4 giveaways over its last 10 games and 15.0 giveaways over its last five.
- Montreal has averaged 17.8 giveaways over its last five home games, a rise over its season average of 12.5 giveaways per game (ranked 28th in the league).
- The Habs this season have registered the fifth-most hits in the league (26.6 per game), but the team’s averaged 32.0 over their last five games as the home team.
