Montreal Canadiens vs New Jersey Devils Betting Pick & Prediction 1/17/24

The Canadiens and Devils are set to face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Devils will host the game at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. This Eastern conference matchup has an over/under of 6.5 goals, and the Devils are favored to win at home vs. the Canadiens.

MONTREAL CANADIENS VS NEW JERSEY DEVILS BETTING PICK

The Pick: New Jersey Devils -1.5

This game will be played at Prudential Center at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, January 17th.

WHY BET THE NEW JERSEY DEVILS:

• Coming in as 1.5 goal favorites, our projections have the Devils picking up a 4-3 win.
• Take the Devils on the moneyline
• On the spread, we like Canadiens (+1.5)

Will the Canadiens Find a Way to Win on the Road?

Montreal comes into this game with an overall record of 18-18-7, which puts them in 13th place in the Eastern Conference and 6th in the Atlantic Division. In their last ten games, the Canadiens have gone just 3-7, and they are 1-2 in their last three games and 2-3 in their last five. On the road this season, Montreal has gone 9-7-4.

As the underdog, the Canadiens have gone 15-17-7 this season, and they have been the underdog in 39 of their 43 games. In games against other Eastern Conference teams, Montreal has gone 9-12 this season.

Montreal enters the game with a puck line record of 27-16 and has a puck line record of 14-6 on the road. So far, the Canadiens have had 13 wins by multiple goals and 13 losses by one goal.

Over their last ten road games, Montreal has a puck line record of 8-2, and their average scoring margin on the road is -.4 goals per game. The Canadiens have gone 4-1 against the puck line in their last five games and 6-4 over their last ten.

For the season, the average number of goals per game in matchups featuring Montreal is 6.2. The season’s average over/under line is currently at 6.3. The Canadiens come in with an over/under record of 22-20-1.

When looking at their past three road matchups, Montreal has an puck line record of 3-0 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.

In terms of their offensive performance, the Canadiens are averaging 2.7 goals per game this season, putting them in the 28th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 28th in the league. Coming into the game, the Canadiens have a 4-3 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 14-14.

Montreal’s leading goal scorer is Cole Caufield. So far this season, he has 13 goals, placing him 82nd in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, Caufield has 18 assists this season.

Entering the game, the Devils’ defense ranks 18th in takeaways, averaging 6.7 takeaways per contest. In the NHL, they currently stand at 28th in terms of goals allowed, giving up an average of 3.2 goals per game.

Goalie Sam Montembeault comes into the game having made 19 starts this season. So far, his record is 9-6 and he has a save percentage of 0.748%.

Will the Devils Pull Through as the Favored Home Team?

At home this season, the Devils have struggled, going just 9-9-2. In the Eastern Conference, New Jersey is 12th and 7th in the Metropolitan Division. Over their last ten games, the Devils have gone 6-4.

So far this season, the Devils have been favored in 31 of their 41 games and have gone 19-10-2 in those games. In their last five games, New Jersey has gone 2-3, and their overall record is 22-16-3.

At home, New Jersey has a puck line record of just 2-18 and an average scoring margin of -.4 goals per game. So far this season, the Devils have had 11 wins by multiple goals and 14 losses by more than one goal. Overall, the team’s puck line record is 13-28.

When favored, the Devils have a puck line record of just 9-22, but they have covered the puck line in three straight games as the favorite. In their last 10 games at home, New Jersey’s puck line record is just 1-9, and they have gone 5-5 against the puck line in their last 10 games overall.

On average, New Jersey’s games have finished with 7 goals per game. The season’s average over/under line stands at 6.5. In total, the Devils come in with an over/under record of 25-15-1.

In their last three road games, Montreal has averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 3. The team’s record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 3-0.

The Devils come into the game scoring an average of 3.5 goals per game, putting them 10th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 22nd in the league. In terms of the Devils’ offense during power plays, they are 7th in power play goals and 28th in shorthanded goals.

New Jersey will be looking for a good game from Jesper Bratt who leads the team in scoring with 16 goals, ranking 46th in the NHL. Bratt also comes into the game with 30 assists.

Entering the game, the Devils’ defense ranks 18th in takeaways, averaging 6.7 takeaways per contest. In the NHL, they currently stand at 28th in terms of goals allowed, giving up an average of 3.2 goals per game.

Goalie Vitek Vanecek comes into the game having made 23 starts this season. So far, his record is 14-7 and he has a save percentage of 0.723%.