Montreal Canadiens vs Vegas Golden Knights Betting Pick & Prediction 12/31/24

Making on a bet on this NHL game featuring the Canadiens versus the Golden Knights? The puck drops at 3:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 6 goals, with the Golden Knights being the favored by -1.5 goals against the Canadiens.

MONTREAL CANADIENS VS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Vegas Golden Knights -1.5

This game will be played at T-Mobile Arena at 3:00 ET on Tuesday, December 31st.

WHY BET THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS:

• Even though they are 1.5 goal underdogs, we see the Canadiens winning this game by a score of 4-2.
• We like the Canadiens on the moneyline (+193)
• The Canadiens are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Will the Canadiens Make it Happen on the Road?

Following a 3-1 loss to the Penguins, the Canadiens’ record dropped to 16-17-3. Montreal’s defense struggled early, allowing a goal at 4:03 in the first period, and they never managed to catch up.

The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 4 fell short of that mark. As underdogs on the puck line, the Canadiens didn’t cover. Their only goal came at 14:28 in the third period, making it 2-1 before the Penguins added an empty-netter.

Montreal’s offense struggled in their 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh, managing just one goal in the third period. Christian Dvorak found the net for the first time this season, with Emil Heineman picking up his first assist and Juraj Slafkovsky notching his seventh.

The Canadiens fired 26 shots on goal but were hindered by 20 giveaways. They were held scoreless in the first two periods before Dvorak’s goal at 14:28 in the third.

Defensively, the Canadiens will look to bounce back after allowing the first two goals in their previous game and an empty-netter late in the third period. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense added 28 hits and 4 takeaways. The Canadiens gave up the first goal at 15:57 in the first period and another at 18:40 in the second, followed by an empty-net goal with 45 seconds left in the third.

Can Vegas Lock in a Home Win?

With a 4-3 overtime win against Utah, the Golden Knights improved to 25-8-3. Vegas, favored by -1.5 goals, didn’t cover the puck line. The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined score of 7 surpassed that mark.

Vegas fell behind 2-0 before rallying with four different players finding the net. Brett Howden scored the game-winner at 2:15 in overtime.

In their 4-3 overtime win, the Golden Knights fired 35 shots on goal but had 13 giveaways. Brett Howden netted his 6th goal of the season in OT, while William Karlsson added his 2nd goal of the year. Pavel Dorofeyev scored for the 7th time this season, and Noah Hanifin picked up his 2nd goal.

Hanifin also contributed two assists, bringing his season total to 5. Mark Stone added his 15th assist on Howden’s game-winner.

Defensively, the Golden Knights will look to improve after allowing the first two goals of the game and a late third-period equalizer. Adin Hill finished with a save percentage of 84.2% on 19 shots from Utah. Vegas’s defense did contribute 10 takeaways and 22 hits.