In their third head-to-head meeting of the regular season, the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators clash at TD Place Stadium in an Atlantic Division matchup. The action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 16, and you’ll be able to catch the game live on NBC Sports Network.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators Odds
Ottawa heads into the game as the slight favorite with a -115 moneyline. The line for Montreal sits at -105, and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals (-105 for the over, -115 for the under).
Montreal is 14-18 straight up (SU) and has lost 7.8 units for moneyline bettors this year. 15 of its contests have gone over the total, while another 15 have gone under and just two have pushed. The Habs are 5-8 SU on the road in 2017-18.
Montreal has converted on 17.5 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s right around league average. Its penalty kill is ranked 24th out of 31 teams, and it has successfully killed off 78.3 percent of its penalties.
For the team as a whole, the Habs have been penalized 4.0 times per game during the 2017-18 season, 3.8 per game over its past five outings total, and 4.0 per game over its last five games as the visiting team. The team has had to stave off opponent power plays just 8.1 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 26.4 saves per game with a .903 save percentage, Carey Price (9-11-2) has been the best option in goal for Montreal this year. If it decides to give him a rest, however, the team may turn to Charlie Lindgren (3-5-1 record, .924 save percentage, 2.43 goals against average).
Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher will both spearhead the attack for the visiting Canadiens. Danault (19 points) has tallied six goals and 13 assists, and has recorded multiple points in two different games. Gallagher has 13 goals and six assists to his creditand has registered at least one point in 14 games.
On the other side of the ice, Ottawa is 10-20 straight up (SU) and has lost 13.4 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 30 regular season matches, 15 of its games have gone over the total, while another 15 have gone under and none have pushed. It’s 5-10 SU as the home team this year.
The Senators have converted on just 15.3 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that places them in the bottom overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 27th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 76.7 percent of all opponent power plays.
Ottawa skaters have been penalized only 3.5 times per game in total this season, 3.4 per game over their past five contests total, and 3.2 per game over their last five at home. The teams had to defend opponent power plays 8.5 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Craig Anderson (24.6 saves per game) has been the primary choice in goal for the Senators. Anderson has nine wins, 14 losses, and three overtime losses and has registered a mediocre 3.05 goals against average and a poor .897 save percentage this season.
Mark Stone (14 goals, 13 assists) will pace the attack for Ottawa.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators Betting Predictions
Predictions: SU Winner – Senators, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- Ottawa (1-4 in shootouts this season) has more experience in games decided by shootout. Montreal has only participated in two shootouts this year, winning one and losing the other.
- The under has hit in four of Ottawa’s last five games.
- Five of Montreal’s last ten games have been decided by two goals or more. The team is 4-1 in those games.
- This game features two of the tougher defenses in the league. Montreal skaters have accounted for the second-most hits in the league (25.4 per game) and the Senators have tallied the 10th-most (22.7).
