Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens Betting Pick & Prediction 12/7/24

The Capitals and Canadiens are set to face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Canadiens will host the game at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC. The Capitals come into this Eastern conference matchup as the -1.5 goal favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 6 goals.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS 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, December 7th.

WHY BET THE MONTREAL CANADIENS:

• Despite being 1.5 goal underdogs, we predict the Canadiens to come out on top with a final score of 4-3.
• We like the Canadiens on the moneyline (+126)
• The Canadiens are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Will the Capitals Defense Show Up on the Road?

Washington dropped to 18-6-2 after a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes. The Capitals trailed 1-0 before Alex Ovechkin tied it up with just 44 seconds left in the first period. They quickly took the lead with another goal at the 19:49 mark, but the Hurricanes responded with three unanswered goals.

Washington entered the game as underdogs on the puck line, and the total was set at 6 goals, resulting in a push. Both of the Capitals’ goals came in the first period, but they couldn’t hold the lead as the Hurricanes scored at 2:29 in the second period to tie it up.

Washington’s offense got off to a quick start in their 4-2 loss to Carolina, with Alex Ovechkin scoring his 7th goal of the season on a power play. Brandon Duhaime followed with his 2nd goal, just 11 seconds before the end of the first period. The Capitals managed 21 shots on goal, but were held scoreless in the second and third periods.

Washington recorded 15 giveaways and 3 assists. Dylan Strome picked up his 13th assist on Ovechkin’s goal, while John Carlson added his 7th assist. Nic Dowd was credited with his 2nd assist on Duhaime’s goal.

Defensively, the Capitals gave up the first goal at 5:59 in the first period and three more after taking a 2-1 lead late in the first. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves with a 93.2% save percentage, but Washington’s defense allowed 44 shots on goal, and the Hurricanes scored the final three goals, including an empty-netter with 9 seconds left.

Can Montreal Secure a Home Victory?

Montreal’s 3-1 loss to the Penguins dropped their record to 10-13-3. The Canadiens entered the game as underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 4 goals fell short of the 6.5 set by oddsmakers.

After falling behind 2-0, Montreal cut the deficit with a goal from Christian Dvorak in the third period. However, the Penguins sealed the game with an empty-net goal at 19:15 in the final period.

Montreal managed just one goal in their 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh, with Christian Dvorak scoring his first of the season at 14:28 in the third period. Juraj Slafkovsky picked up his 7th assist, while Emil Heineman added his first assist on Dvorak’s goal.

The Canadiens fired 26 shots on goal but were held scoreless until the third period. They struggled with giveaways, committing 20 in the game.

Defensively, the Canadiens will look to bounce back after allowing the first two goals in their previous game against Pittsburgh, one of which came on the power play. They also gave up an empty-netter with 45 seconds left in the 3rd period. Goalie Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense recorded 4 takeaways and 28 hits.