The Washington Capitals and the Montreal Canadiens meet Saturday in NHL action from the Bell Centre. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens prediction.
Washington Capitals Recap
The Washington Capitals come into this game looking to ad on to their 3-2 win over Vegas last time out to sit at 31-23-7 this season. After this game, Washington will head back home for a game against Utah.
Capitals Win 6 Of Last 7
Tom Wilson leads Washington with 49 points including a team-high 23 goals and 26 assists while Dylan Strome has 47 points with 16 goals and 31 assists. John Carlson also has 46 points with 10 goals and 36 assists. Aliaksei Protas has 42 points with 20 goals and 22 assists while Jakob Chychrun has 48 points with 22 goals and 26 assists and Alex Ovechkin has 48 points with 22 goals and 26 assists. In goal for Washington, Logan Thompson has gone 21-16-4 with a 2.40 GAA and a .913 save percentage while Charlie Lindgren is 8-6-3 with a 3.37 GAA and an .884 save percentage so far this season. Clay Stevenson also has gone 2-1 with a 2.33 GAA and a .904 save percentage this season.
Why the Washington Capitals will win
- The Capitals have won each of their last four games as underdogs against the Canadiens.
- The Canadiens have lost each of their last four games as favorites against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The underdogs have covered the puck line in each of the Canadiens’ last 12 games.
- The Canadiens have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last six games as favorites against opponents on a winning streak.
Washington Capitals Player Prop Facts
- Alex Ovechkin has scored at least one goal in seven of the Capitals’ last eight games as road underdogs against the Canadiens.
- Dylan Strome has recorded at least one assist in each of the Capitals’ last five games against the Canadiens.
- Alex Ovechkin has scored three goals against the Canadiens this season – most against any opponent.
Montreal Canadiens Recap
The Montreal Canadiens come into this game looking to bounce back from a 4-3 OT loss at the hands of the New York Islanders last time out to sit at 32-17-9 this season. After this game, Montreal will head on the road for a game against San Jose.
Canadiens Alternate Wins & Losses In 4 Straight
Nick Suzuki leads Montreal with 65 points including 18 goals and 47 assists while Cole Caufield has 58 points with a team-high 33 goals and 25 assists. Lane Hutson has 59 points with a team-high 49 assists while Ivan Demidov has 47 points with 12 goals and 35 assists. Noah Dobson has 40 points with 28 assists and Mike Matheson has 28 points with 5 goals and 23 assists. Oliver Kapanen has 31 points with 18 goals and 13 assists while Zack Bolduc has 23 points with 10 goals and 13 assists. Sam Montembault has gone 10-8-3 with a 3.37 GAA and an .874 save percentage in goal for the Canadiens while Jakub Dobes is 18-5-4 with a 2.96 GAA and an .892 save percentage. Jacob Fowler is also 4-4-2 with a 2.62 GAA and an .902 save percentage for the Habs this season.
Why the Montreal Canadiens will win
- The home team has won each of the Capitals’ last six games.
- The Capitals have lost each of their last six road games following a win.
- The Canadiens have covered the puck line in six of their last seven games.
- The Capitals have failed to cover the puck line in three of their last four games when playing with a rest disadvantage.
Montreal Canadiens Player Prop Facts
- Cole Caufield has scored at least one goal in each of the Canadiens’ last six games against Eastern Conference opponents.
- Lane Hutson has recorded at least one assist in each of the Canadiens’ last four home games against the Capitals.
- Lane Hutson has recorded a positive plus minus rating in each of his last five appearances – longest active streak in the league.
Total Goals Facts
- Each of the Capitals’ last five games have gone UNDER the total goals line.
- Six of the Canadiens’ last seven home games against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back have gone OVER the total goals line.
Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens Prediction
I’m on Washington in this one. I get the case to be made for Montreal laying this kind of price at home, but the thing for me here is that these two teams are very similar right now and Washington’s the hotter team but the only reason they’re priced like this is because they’re playing on a back-to-back with travel. I think Washington’s live to win this game. Give me the Capitals.