Canadiens vs. Flyers Prediction, NHL Odds
| Canadiens Odds | +146 |
| Flyers Odds | -176 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 +106 / -130 |
Here's everything you need to know about the Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, Jan. 10 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
Montreal hasn’t played since Saturday when it beat the Rangers at home.
Now the Canadiens travel to Philadelphia hoping to stay in the win column. The Habs won two out of their last three, and their opponent tonight is extremely vulnerable.
The Flyers are riding a major low. Not only did they just lose 4-1 to Pittsburgh, but they’ve been in the news since their former top prospect refused to sign with them.
Along with that, they lost three out of their last four, so it’s a very fragile situation in Philadelphia.
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Montreal Canadiens
The Habs are filled with a decent amount of young talent, not ready to take that next step yet.
Captain Nick Suzuki is an exceptional player who has an eye for making the right play, perfect for goalscorer Cole Caufield to take advantage.
Montreal also has a solid veteran presence with Mike Matheson on the blue line, and Sean Monahan is reviving his career.
There isn’t anything particular that this team does all that well. Montreal’s 5-on-5 play is rather underwhelming, ranking 25th in expected goals with a 46.45 xGF% and 29tth with a 2.92 xGA/60.
Special teams aren't so special for the Habs. They score on the power play at a mediocre 17% rate, but on the penalty kill they're fifth worst with a 72.7% success rate.
Since Montreal hasn’t played in a few days, I’d expect to see Samuel Montembeault tonight. The Habs had looked to Montembeault a lot this season, and he hasn’t disappointed. In 18 games, he’s playing to a .906 SV% and a 1.8 goals saved above expected (GSAx).
Philadelphia Flyers
Despite the news around Philadelphia, I do like the team it’s building.
Travis Konecny is solidifying himself as a premier scorer in this league, and Joel Farabee is a crafty playmaker. It’s also amazing to see Sean Couturier get back on the saddle after a two-year injury absence (and doing a fine job).
Also, watch out for Owen Tippett, who scored his first goal in six games – he’s due for a breakout.
With coach John Tortorella at the helm, he has his team playing great 5-on-5 hockey. The Flyers are ninth with a 52.25 xGF% and ninth with a 2.48 xGA/60.
Their special teams are quite bipolar. The power play is the worst in the league, scoring 10.7% of the time. Meanwhile, their penalty kill is second-best at 86%.
I would think Tortorella rides with Carter Hart tonight, even though he and Samuel Ersson have split starts as of late. Hart has had a fine season for the most part, playing to a .911 SV% and a 3.3 GSAx.
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Canadiens vs. Flyers
Betting Pick & Prediction
In recent memory, the Canadiens have had Philadelphia’s number.
Amid all of that, the Habs are a better team on the road. They’re 9-7 when playing in opposing team’s barns while the Flyers are 9-8-2 in front of their home fans.
I think Montreal is playing with some momentum, albeit not a ton of it. Philadelphia has had a better season than most expected, but at this stage, it has a lot of questions to answer off the ice – which can hinder on-ice performance.
While the Flyers have the better team on paper, I like the Canadiens in this bout. I do think Philly will figure it out, but not at this point. I think there’s a good chance the underdog comes out on top tonight in this spot. Play it down to +130.
