Montreal Canadiens vs Florida Panthers Betting Pick & Prediction 12/28/24

Looking to win big? The Canadiens and Panthers face off at 1:00 ET on ESPN+. The Panthers are hosting the game at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL. The over/under for this Atlantic division contest is set at 6.5 goals, with the Panthers being favored by -1.5 at home against the Canadiens.

MONTREAL CANADIENS VS FLORIDA PANTHERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Florida Panthers -1.5

This game will be played at Amerant Bank Arena at 1:00 ET on Saturday, December 28th.

WHY BET THE FLORIDA PANTHERS:

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

Do the Canadiens Have What it Takes in Sunrise?

Montreal’s 3-1 loss to the Penguins dropped their record to 14-17-3. The Canadiens were underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 4 goals fell short of the 6.5 set before the game.

Christian Dvorak scored Montreal’s only goal at 14:28 in the third period, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The Penguins added an empty-netter with 0:45 remaining to seal the win.

Montreal’s offense was held to just one goal in their 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh. Christian Dvorak netted his first goal of the season, which came 5:32 into the third period. The Canadiens took 26 shots on goal but couldn’t convert on any of their 20 offensive giveaways.

Emil Heineman picked up his first assist of the season, while Juraj Slafkovsky added his seventh assist on Dvorak’s goal. The Canadiens were unable to score on the power play.

Montreal’s defense allowed the first two goals, both from Sidney Crosby, at 15:57 in the first period and 1:20 in the second. After cutting the deficit to 2-1 in the third, the Canadiens gave up an empty-netter with 45 seconds left. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense recorded 4 takeaways and 28 hits.

Can The Panthers Secure a Home Victory?

With a 4-2 win over the Stars, the Panthers improved to 22-12-2 this season. Florida covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 6 goals fell just short of the 6.5 goal line.

All four of Florida’s goals came from different players. The Panthers held a 2-0 lead before the Stars tied it up, but Florida pulled ahead again with two more goals in the third period.

A.J. Greer netted his first goal of the season, while Sam Reinhart added his 10th, capping the game with an empty-netter. The Panthers also got contributions from Evan Rodrigues, who opened the scoring, and Matthew Tkachuk, who scored his third goal of the year. Carolina took 25 shots on goal and scored once on the power play.

Reinhart also picked up his 11th assist on Rodrigues’ goal. Tomas Nosek earned his first assist of the season on Greer’s goal, and Eetu Luostarinen was credited with his fourth assist on Reinhart’s empty-netter. The Panthers had 16 giveaways in the game.

Defensively, the Panthers will look to carry the momentum from their last game, where they allowed just 2 goals and recorded 8 takeaways and 22 hits. Spencer Knight posted a 92% save percentage with 23 saves. Florida’s defense also came up big in the third period, shutting out Dallas after the Stars had tied the game 2-2 in the second.