Bell Centre plays host to an Eastern Conference clash as the New Jersey Devils pay a visit to Quebec to take on the Montreal Canadiens. It’s the third and final time that these two clubs will meet in the regular season. The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 1, and fans at home will be able to view the game live on Sportsnet.
New Jersey Devils at Montreal Canadiens Odds
New Jersey enters the contest as the substantial favorite with a moneyline of -160. The line for Montreal sits at +140 and the oddsmakers have put the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals (-110 for the over, -110 for the under).
New Jersey is 41-37 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 9.9 units this year. 39 of its games have gone over the total, while 36 have gone under and just two have pushed. This 2017-18 Devils team is 20-19 SU on the road.
New Jersey has converted on 21.3 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 12th overall, and the teams successfully killed off 81.9 percent of its penalties.
New Jersey, as a collective unit, has been penalized 3.7 times per game overall in the 2017-18 season, and 3.0 per game over its last five games. The team has had to kill penalties just 7.1 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 28.0 saves per game with a .909 save percentage, Cory Schneider (18-21-6) has been the primary option in goal for New Jersey this season. If head coach John Hynes decides to rest him, however, the team could turn to Keith Kinkaid (23-15-3 record, .910 save percentage, 2.89 goals against average).
Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier will both look to continue their strong seasons for the visiting Devils. Hall has 88 points via 36 goals and 52 assists, and has recorded two or more points 25 times. Hischier has 18 goals and 32 assists to his nameand has notched a point in 36 games.
Montreal is 28-50 straight up (SU) and has lost 23.9 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 78 regular season contests, 41 of its games have gone under the total, while 34 have gone over and just two have pushed. This season, the teams 18-21 SU as the home team.
Montreal has converted on 21.3 percent of its power play chances this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 32nd overall, and it’s successfully killed off 73.8 percent of all opponent power plays.
Montreal players have been penalized 3.8 times per game in total this season, 3.6 per game over their last five match ups total, and 4.4 per game over their last five home outings. The team has had to defend opponent power plays 14.4 minutes per contest over their last five home games.
Carey Price (27.3 saves per game) has been the top choice in goal for Montreal. Price has 16 wins, 30 losses, and six overtime losses and has registered a subpar .902 save percentage and 3.07 goals against average this year.
Brendan Gallagher (30 goals, 21 assists) will lead the attack for the Canadiens.
New Jersey Devils vs. Montreal Canadiens Free Picks
Free NHL Pick: SU Winner – Devils, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- The total has gone over in three of Montreal’s last five games.
- Penalties and power plays may be extremely important tonight. The Devils are 11-21 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 22-28 when they serve fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Canadiens are 11-14 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 20-32 when they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
- Montreal is 2-6 in games decided by a shootout this season while New Jersey is 5-4 in shootouts.
- Montreal is ranked 16th in the NHL this season with 7.2 takeaways per game. That figures trended down, however, as the team has averaged 5.8 takeaways over its last 10 games and 6.0 takeaways over its last five.
- New Jersey is ranked eighth in the league this season with 8.3 takeaways per game. That figure has trended higher, as the team has created 9.6 takeaways over its last 10 games and 12.6 takeaways over its last five.
- New Jersey could hold an advantage if this one comes down to the wire. The teams an impressive 23-17 in games decided by one goal, while Montreal is 10-15 in such games.
