Pittsburgh Penguins vs Montreal Canadiens Betting Pick & Prediction 10/14/24

Looking to win big? The Penguins and Canadiens face off at 7:30 ET on ESPN+. The Canadiens are hosting the game at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC. The Penguins are the -1.5 goal favorite in this Eastern conference matchup against Canadiens. The over/under for the game is set at 6 goals.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS VS MONTREAL CANADIENS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Montreal Canadiens +1.5

This game will be played at Bell Centre at 7:30 ET on Monday, October 14th.

WHY BET THE MONTREAL CANADIENS:

• In spite of being 1.5 goal underdogs, we anticipate the Canadiens winning this one 4-3.
• We like the Canadiens on the moneyline (+114)
• The Canadiens are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Can the Penguins Deliver Being Favored on the Road?

The Penguins fell to 1-2-0 after a 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs. Pittsburgh held a 1-0 lead after the first period, but the Maple Leafs responded with four unanswered goals. The Penguins were underdogs on the puck line, and the total was set at 6.5 goals, with the combined score reaching 6.

Kris Letang opened the scoring at 9:02 in the first period with a power-play goal. The Maple Leafs tied it up early in the second period and took the lead shortly after. Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins in the third period, cutting the deficit to 3-2, before the Maple Leafs sealed the game with an empty-net goal.

Kris Letang got the Penguins on the board with his first goal of the season, a power-play tally 9:02 into the first period. Rickard Rakell followed with his first goal of the year, which came 12:29 into the third period.

Evgeni Malkin added another assist, bringing his total to four this season, while Sidney Crosby picked up his third assist on Letang’s goal. Pittsburgh fired 23 shots on goal and had 9 giveaways.

Defensively, the Penguins gave up the first goal just 50 seconds into the 2nd period, followed by two more in the 3rd, including an empty netter. Joel Blomqvist made 29 saves with a 90.6% save percentage. The Penguins’ defense also recorded 12 takeaways and 13 hits.

Will Montreal Come Through as Home Underdogs?

The Canadiens improved to 2-1-0 with a 4-1 road win over the Senators. As underdogs on the puck line, Montreal covered with ease, and the total line of 6 goals fell short, with the teams combining for 5 goals.

Three different players scored for Montreal, with Cole Caufield leading the way with two goals. The Canadiens’ defense held Ottawa scoreless until the third period.

Cole Caufield led the Canadiens’ offense with two goals, bringing his season total to five. He scored once in the first period and added another in the third. Emil Heineman opened the scoring with his first goal of the season, while Alex Newhook netted his first goal of the year as well.

Juraj Slafkovsky contributed two assists, giving him four for the season. Lane Hutson picked up his fourth assist on Newhook’s goal. Montreal took 26 shots on goal and scored their first goal on a power play.

On the defensive side, the Canadiens will look to build off their last game, where they allowed just 1 goal to Ottawa. Sam Montembeault made 24 saves, posting a 96% save percentage. The defense also contributed 3 takeaways and 17 hits.