Canadiens vs. Blackhawks Odds
| Canadiens Odds | -105 |
| Blackhawks Odds | -115 |
| Over / Under | 6 -115 / -105 |
The Canadiens will try to head in to their holiday break on a high note, as they skate in leg two of a back-to-back situation Friday versus the Blackhawks. They own a mark of 4-3-3 over the last ten games, and have now gone to overtime 13 times in 32 games this season.
Despite owning a considerably better record, the Canadiens are slight underdogs Friday versus the Blackhawks. The back-to-back spot on the road is a key reason why, along with the return of a key body to the Hawks' lineup.
I've got my eye on two props in this exciting matchup Friday. So without further ado, let's dive into the latest NHL odds as well as my Canadiens vs. Blackhawks prediction for Friday, December 22.
Montreal Canadiens
Full marks to Martin St. Louis and the Canadiens, who continue to compete on a nightly basis. St. Louis continues to prove that despite being unproven as a head coach, he is worthy of developing the young talent on the NHL's second-most valuable franchise. His side has routinely competed at a professional level, and does well to avoid high danger breakdowns despite consistently owning less of the play.
The Canadiens roster dictates that they should not blow anybody out of the water, and they haven't. They own a -20 goal differential, and have been one of the biggest benefactors of the NHL by not enforcing a highly logical three-point regulation win system.
Their 34.12 shots against per 60 is the third-highest average in the NHL this season. A lot of those chances have been contested shots that the team can live with, and has been in the nature of the teams defensive zone strategy.
Their 3.34 goals against average ranks 20th in the league, and can be viewed as acceptable considering the roster.
The Canadiens are 0-4 in back-to-back situations to this point, and have allowed 4.00 goals against per game. That is a small sample though, and they have played a tough slate of opponents.
Cayden Primeau is likely to start Friday. He has played to a +0.9 GSAx and .902 save % across six appearances this season.
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Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks have made a strong for the NHL's worst power-rated team over the last several weeks. It should be noted though, that this stretch has been the clear low point in their season, and has been exacerbated due to the bodies out of the lineup.
Rookie Kevin Korchinski is set to return to the lineup Friday, and has by a wide margin been the Blackhawks second-best skater this season. His presence upgrades the blue-line significantly, which is also suffering through the losses of Seth Jones and Alex Vlasic, and simply does not hold replacement level options.
Coach Luke Richardson shook up his top offensive line versus Colorado Tuesday, skating Connor Bedard with Lukas Reichel and Ryan Donato. Reichel was expected to be a natural running mate for Bedard due to his offensive upside on a thin team. But his poor form this season has prevented that plan from coming to fruition.
The Blackhawks new look top unit generated 3.51 xGF/60 in a small 10.5 minute sample. While Reichel's presence on the top unit grabbed more headlines, the more relevant note is that Bedard was reunited with Donato, as Bedard has consistently generated chances at a higher rate playing alongside Donato this season as opposed to without.
Petr Mrazek is set to start in goal. He has played to a +2.9 GSAx and .909 save % across 20 appearances this season.
Canadiens vs. Blackhawks
Betting Pick & Prediction
It would be Montreal or pass for me here if I was to bet a side, as I believe they hold a true 50/50 shot at winning this game opposed to most prices. That is not enough to warrant a bet at any current prices, though.
Targeting props involving Conor Bedard and the Hawks top-line is my favorite way to bet this matchup. Bedard has been at his most effective playing alongside Donato, and in a one-game sample Bedard-Reichel-Donato worked brilliantly. They get a great matchup versus a bad defensive team here playing leg two of a back-to-back, and should generate a high total of attempts on goal.
Bedard is priced at +110 to record over 3.5 shots on goal, which is worthy of a play down to +100. Ryan Donato is available at +350 to score anytime, which is worth a bet down to +335.
Pick: Connor Bedard Over 3.5 Shots on Goal +110 (Play to +100), Ryan Donato Anytime Goalscorer +350 (Play to +335)
