Columbus Blue Jackets vs Montreal Canadiens Betting Pick & Prediction 11/16/24

Betting on today’s Blue Jackets and Canadiens game? Catch the action at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC, as the Canadiens hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this Eastern conference contest is set at 6.5 goals, with the Canadiens being favored by -1.5 goals at home against the Blue Jackets.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS MONTREAL CANADIENS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Montreal Canadiens -1.5

This game will be played at Bell Centre at 7:00 ET on Saturday, November 16th.

WHY BET THE MONTREAL CANADIENS:

• With a 1.5-goal advantage on the spread, our projections favor the Canadiens to secure a 4-3 victory.
• Take the Canadiens on the moneyline
• On the spread, we like Blue Jackets (+1.5)

Will the Blue Jackets Come Through as Road Underdogs?

Columbus dropped to 6-8-2 after a 7-2 road loss to the Capitals. The Blue Jackets were underdogs on the puck line, and the total for the game was set at 6.5 goals. The combined 9 goals easily surpassed that mark.

Things went south quickly for Columbus, as they allowed five goals in the first period. Damon Severson scored the Blue Jackets’ first goal at the 19:11 mark of the second period, but the game was already out of reach by then.

Columbus took 36 shots on goal in their 7-2 loss to Washington but only found the net twice. Damon Severson scored his 4th goal of the season, while Kevin Labanc added his 2nd. The Blue Jackets had 13 giveaways in the game.

Columbus was held scoreless in the first period before Severson got them on the board 49 seconds into the second period. Labanc followed with a goal at the 5:24 mark of the second.

Columbus’ defense struggled early, giving up five goals in the first period, including the first just 56 seconds in. Daniil Tarasov finished with a 68.2% save percentage on 22 shots from Washington. The Blue Jackets’ defense also recorded 10 takeaways and 17 hits.

Does Montreal Have What it Takes at Home?

Montreal dropped to 5-10-2 after a 3-1 road loss to the Penguins. The Canadiens entered as underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 4 goals fell short of the 6.5 set before the game.

Montreal’s offense was quiet until the 3rd period, when Christian Dvorak scored at 14:28 to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Penguins added an empty-net goal at 19:15 to seal the win.

Montreal’s offense was held in check in their 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh. Christian Dvorak netted his first goal of the season, while Emil Heineman picked up his first assist and Juraj Slafkovsky added his seventh. The Canadiens took 26 shots on goal but failed to score in the first two periods.

Montreal struggled with giveaways, recording 20 in the game. They were unable to capitalize on any power play opportunities and didn’t score until 14:28 in the third period.

Montreal’s defense gave up the first two goals, one at 15:57 in the first period and another at 18:40 in the second. They also allowed an empty-netter late in the third. Goalie Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage. Defensively, the Canadiens had 28 hits and 4 takeaways.