ClutchPoints is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or in any way connected to any sportsbook. Gambling is not offered on this website in any form.
The Montreal Canadiens‘ season was starting to look up when they won three of four games before a five-day break last week. However, the break did them more harm than good, as they fell behind 5-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday with a noticeable level of rust on their game. The Utah Hockey Club had a much more successful weekend, but some cracks are beginning to form in their game, which is concerning for the newest teams’ fans. A date with the Canadiens could be the thing to get their season back on track, but they can’t take Montreal lightly. It’s time to continue our NHL odds series with a Utah HC-Canadiens prediction and pick.
Here are the Utah HC-Canadiens NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.Â
NHL Odds: Utah HC-Canadiens Odds
Utah Hockey Club: -1.5 (+185)
Moneyline: -140
Montreal Canadiens: +1.5 (-225)
Moneyline: +120
Over: 6 (-115)
Under: 6 (-115)
How To Watch Utah HC vs. Canadiens
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: TSN2, Utah16
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Utah HC Could Cover the Spread/Win
Karel Vejmelka has been dynamite this season despite his 2-6-0 record. He started the last three games for Utah, and they need to return to him in this game to give themselves a better chance of a victory. Vejmelka has a 2.30 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage, compared to Connor Ingram’s 3.61 goals-against average and .871 save percentage.
Why the Canadiens Could Cover the Spread/Win
Related NewsArticle continues below
The Canadiens have some reasons for optimism despite their disappointing 6-2 loss to the Golden Knights on Saturday. Before that loss, Sam Montembeault had been lights out in the Montreal crease, allowing just three goals over a three-game span. The Canadiens’ most significant problem was the players’ inability to buy into Martin St. Louis’ hybrid defensive zone system, which caused some lopsided scores on the nights when it wasn’t working the most. However, it seemed like that was solved with last week’s efforts from the defense and Montembeault.
The Canadiens may soon get a boost from Patrik Laine, who missed the entire first quarter of the season with a knee injury sustained in the preseason. At practice, Laine began skating with the team in a non-contact jersey, but he skated on the top line in a regular sweater on Monday. It’s unlikely that Laine will play just a day after shedding the non-contact jersey, but practicing with the top line a day before an important game does give reason to believe it could happen.
Final Utah HC-Canadiens Prediction & Pick
Montreal’s offense has been near the bottom of the league all season, and Utah is now down there with them. The Canadiens average 2.8 goals per game, while Utah averages 2.71. Utah’s offense looked lethal at the start of the season, but their past ten games have been abysmal. Utah has been shut out in three of their past ten and scored three or more goals once. They have 12 goals over their last five games, with six coming in one game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which isn’t something to hang their hat on with Pittsburgh’s goaltending situation.
The Canadiens’ offense hasn’t been as bad lately, but their defense is also picking up, which led to four of their past six games going under. St. Louis will emphasize defense again in this game after the Saturday night debacle, which could sway this game heavily to a goaltending duel.
Final Utah HC-Canadiens Prediction & Pick: Under 6 (-115)
The content of this article is for entertainment and educational purposes only, and ClutchPoints makes no warranty to the accuracy of the information given or outcome of any sporting event. Gambling is not offered on this website, and all betting content is intended for audiences ages 21+. All picks and predictions are based on each individual writer’s opinion, and don’t express that of ClutchPoints. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.