Pittsburgh Penguins vs Montreal Canadiens Betting Pick & Prediction 12/12/24

Making on a bet on this NHL game featuring the Penguins versus the Canadiens? The puck drops at 7:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC. The Penguins come into this Eastern conference matchup as the -1.5 goal favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 6.5 goals.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS VS MONTREAL CANADIENS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Montreal Canadiens +1.5

This game will be played at Bell Centre at 7:00 ET on Thursday, December 12th.

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 4-2.
• We like the Canadiens on the moneyline (-104)
• The Canadiens are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Do the Penguins Stand a Chance on the Road?

The Penguins improved to 12-14-4 with a 3-1 road win over the Canadiens. Pittsburgh was favored by -1.5 goals and covered the puck line. The total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 4 fell short of that mark.

Sidney Crosby scored the first two goals for the Penguins, while Blake Lizotte added an empty-netter to seal the win. Pittsburgh’s defense held the Canadiens scoreless until the third period.

In their game against the Canadiens, the Penguins took 24 shots on goal and scored three times. Sidney Crosby found the net twice, with his first goal coming at 4:03 in the first period and his second, a power-play goal, at 1:20 in the second period. Blake Lizotte added his second goal of the season on an empty net with 45 seconds left in the game.

Pittsburgh had 14 giveaways and scored their first goal at 4:03 in the first period. Crosby now has 5 goals for the season, while Blake Lizotte’s empty-netter was his second. The Penguins’ second goal came at 1:20 in the second period.

On the defensive side, Pittsburgh will look to build on its performance in the previous game, where they allowed just one goal to Montreal. Alex Nedeljkovic recorded 25 saves with a 96.2% save percentage, and the defense contributed with 5 takeaways and 19 hits. The only goal they allowed came 5:32 into the 3rd period, making it a 2-1 game at the time.

Will Montreal Pull Through as the Underdog Home Team?

Montreal fell to 11-14-3 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 defense struggled early, giving up their first goal just 4:03 into the opening period. They didn’t score until the 3rd period, when Christian Dvorak found the net at 14:28, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The Penguins added an empty-net goal at 19:15 to seal the win.

Montreal’s offense struggled in their last game, managing just one goal, which came from Christian Dvorak at 14:28 in the third period. Dvorak’s goal was his first of the season, while Emil Heineman picked up his first assist and Juraj Slafkovsky recorded his seventh.

The Canadiens took 26 shots on goal but were held scoreless through the first two periods. They also had 20 giveaways and failed to convert on any power play opportunities.

On the defensive side, Montreal allowed the first two goals of the game, one at 15:57 in the first period and another at 18:40 in the second. They also gave up an empty-netter with 45 seconds left in the third. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the Canadiens’ defense recorded 4 takeaways and 28 hits.