Two teams with different expectations headed into the regular season are set to face off tonight, with the Montreal Canadiens hosting the Minnesota Wild.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Minnesota Wild (-215) vs. Montreal Canadiens (+176) Total: 7 (O +110, U -134)
The Wild have gotten off to a sluggish start, while the Canadiens are playing some solid hockey. Minnesota enters this matchup with a 1-3-1 record, while the Habs are 3-3. Even with the Wild struggling, they still are sizable favorites in this contest, at -194 on the moneyline. Minnesota proved to be a quality postseason threat last season, but their campaign has not started according to plan, and even if the Habs have a worse roster on paper, they’ve played well at home and won’t be an easy victory.
One of the most significant issues for the Wild has been their inability to keep pucks out of their net. The goaltending situation tonight should feature hometown kid Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury will likely take on Canadiens netminder Jake Allen, who’s been solid early on. Fleury has struggled in goal for the Wild through three starts, posting a 1-1-1 record with a .847 save percentage. Allen is 2-2 with a .913 save percentage. It’s undeniable that the Wild need to play better defensively, but the goalies need to perform as well, which could be difficult against a Habs team that does well off the rush.
The Wild can’t continue to pile early season losses. There’s not much value with the Wild on the moneyline at -215, but it’s also difficult to back them winning by multiple goals. There’s likely some value with the Canadiens on the moneyline, which has a solid price at +176.
Best Bet: Canadiens moneyline (+176)
Even though the Montreal Canadiens have been entertaining to watch, there are still questions about how many goals they’ll be able to score. This matchup offers the Wild an excellent chance to play a responsible, defensive game, so there’s some value in looking at the total set at seven. It’s hard to see these teams combining to score more than seven goals, so looking take the Under seven at -134.
Best Bet: Under 7 (-134)
One of the Montreal Canadiens’ best stories is Cole Caufield, who has continued to light the lamp and build off last season. Through six games, Caufield has scored four games and added one assist. Scoring goals is the hardest thing to do in the NHL, and Caufield has that touch. With the Habs taking on a Wild team that has struggled to keep pucks out of their net, it’s hard not to target the best Montreal goal scorer, so there’s value in looking towards Caufield to score at +180.
Best Prop: Cole Caufield Over 0.5 Goals (+180)
