Bell Centre is playing host to an East-West showdown as the Dallas Stars head north to face the Montreal Canadiens. The first puck will drop at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, October 30, and you’ll be able to watch it live on Fox Sports Southwest.
Dallas Stars at Montreal Canadiens Odds
Montreal (-140) is currently the favorite over Dallas (+120) and the oddsmakers have put the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals (-115 for the over, -105 for the under).
Earning 3.9 units for moneyline bettors, Montreal is 6-4 straight up (SU) overall in the 2018-19 season. That winning percentage, the third-best in the Atlantic Division in this young season, is a remarkable improvement over the 29-53 record from the 2017-18 season campaign. Five of its 10 contests have gone under the total, while four have gone over and just one has pushed. Thus far, the team’s 4-1 SU at home.
The Canadiens have converted on 17.9 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 18th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 76.5 percent of all penalties.
The Canadiens, as a collective unit, have been penalized 3.9 times per game this season, a number that is pretty close to last year’s 3.8 penalties per game they surrendered. After serving an average of 8.6 penalty minutes per game a season ago the team’s had to kill penalties for 9.2 minutes per outing this year.
Averaging 25.3 saves per game with a .922 save percentage, Carey Price (four wins, three losses, and two OT losses) has been the primary option in goal for the Habs this season. If the Habs, however, decide to give him the night off, head coach Claude Julien might roll with Antti Niemi (2-1-1 record, .898 save percentage, 3.26 goals against average).
The Habs will continue to lean on the offensive production from Max Domi and Jeff Petry. Domi (11 points) has produced five goals and six assists and has recorded multiple points three times this year. Petry has one goal and eight assists to his credit and has notched at least one point in six contests.
On the visitors’ side of the ice, Dallas is 5-5 straight up (SU) and has lost 1.9 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year. Through 10 regular season contests, four of its games have gone over the total, while another four have gone under the total and two have pushed. As the road team so far, the Stars are 0-3 SU.
The Stars have scored on 28.6 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s good enough for seventh-best in the league. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked sixth overall and it’s successfully killed off 85.7 percent of all opponent power plays.
Dallas’ skaters have been penalized 3.9 times per game this season. Last season, that number was at 4.2, which was the fourth-worst mark in the league. After serving an average of 10.1 penalty minutes per game a season ago the team’s had to kill penalties for 8.7 minutes per outing this year.
Ben Bishop (2.42 goals against average and .917 save percentage) has been the primary option in goal for Dallas. Bishop is averaging 26.4 saves per game and owns a 4-4 record.
Tyler Seguin (three goals, nine assists) has been one of the top offensive playmakers for the visiting Stars.
Dallas Stars at Montreal Canadiens Free Picks
Free Pick: SU Winner – Stars, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- The Stars are 0-3 SU in games where they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent while the Canadiens are 1-3 SU when they serve more minutes than their opponent.
- After going 2-6 in games decided by a shootout last year, the Canadiens are off to a 1-0 start in shootouts this season. Dallas was 4-3 in shootouts last year and has yet to participate in one this time around.
- The total has gone under in three of Montreal’s last five games.
