Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins: odds and predictions

As the Montreal Canadiens get ready to face the Pittsburgh Penguins, hockey fans and bettors are looking forward to an exciting game. The match, set for October 14th, shows two teams with rich pasts and a love for tough, tight fights. Both teams have had changing performances lately, making this game a hot topic in NHL predictions.

Team Form and Performance

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins come into this game as the slight favorites, but their recent play has not been great. With losses in their last three matches, the Penguins are having trouble finding consistency. They’re now getting around 2.98 goals each match, with key players like Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel looking to lead the attack. However, the team’s power play has been really weak, making only 13.3% of their opportunities.

Pittsburgh is strong at defense, letting in just 2.73 goals a game. This strong defense is likely one of the biggest reasons they are liked to win, even with their recent hard times. Playing at home will also give the Penguins a needed edge, where they often do better.

Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens, in contrast, enter this match with some momentum. They just ended a six-game losing run with a win over the New York Islanders. Montreal is getting 2.71 goals each game but has a weaker defense, letting in 3.5 goals per game. Their power play is a bit stronger than that of Pittsburgh, with a 19.4% success rate, which could be important if the match is close.

Montreal has seen a bit of luck versus Pittsburgh in the last games, winning 6 of their last 10 matches against the Penguins. This head-to-head score might give the Canadiens a boost they need to do something unexpected, especially if they can take advantage of their power plays and firm up their defense.

Betting Insights and Odds

Odds: The Pittsburgh Penguins are right now seen as favorites with odds near -275 to win, but the Montreal Canadiens are outsiders at +230. This shows that although the Penguins are thought to win, the gap is not too big, and there is space for a surprise.

Over/Under: Looking at the way both teams are doing now, putting money on how many goals are made could be a good choice. The over/under is usually set at 6 goals, and since both teams can score well, betting on the over could be a wise move!

Best Bet: Even though the smart pick may be on the Penguins to win, those looking for value might think about betting on Montreal to cover the spread or maybe take the match. With their latest plays and past wins against Pittsburgh, Montreal just might go against what is expected.

Predictions

This game is thought to be a tight one, with both teams having clear good points and bad points. The Penguins have the edge in team power and their own rink, but the Canadiens have shown they can be a tough rival, mainly when they are not favored.

A 4-3 score in favor of Pittsburgh looks like a good guess, with the match maybe being ended by a late goal. But if Montreal can exploit Pittsburgh’s recent struggles, especially on the power play, then a surprise is surely within reach!

For people wanting to place a bet, the top choice could be to gamble on both teams getting more than 6goals together. With both attacks able to score goals and both defenses showing weaknesses, a game with lots of goals is likely.

The Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins game looks to be a thrilling and tight contest. The Penguins are a bit favored, but the Canadiens have a good shot to surprise, making this game very interesting for fans and gamblers alike. Whether you’re betting or simply watching the game, this is one match you won’t want to miss.