The NHL season rolls on Monday night with a matchup between a true contender and one of the worst teams in the league. The Colorado Avalanche will head to Quebec to face the Montreal Canadiens in a cross-conference matchup at the Bell Centre. The puck drops at 7:30 PM ET. Colorado is coming off a thrilling overtime win over the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, which is a huge outcome in the midst of the playoff race. The Habs meanwhile are slumping, losing six in a row. They most recently fell to the New Jersey Devils. Keep reading for the Avalanche vs Canadiens picks.
Before we get into the odds and predictions for this game make sure to check out our online sportsbook reviews, and the top NHL betting sites.
Avalanche vs Canadiens Odds
The Avs are heavily favored here with -247 moneyline odds at BetOnline, while the Canadiens come back at +220. The total goals are set at 6.5, with the under being hit in four straight meetings. In fact, Colorado has won four consecutive against Montreal.
Colorado vs Montreal Preview
It's been a very difficult season for the defending champions in terms of health. They've dealt with countless injuries and heading into Monday's matchup, six players still remain out. That includes star winger Gabriel Landeskog, who has yet to play in 2022-23 after undergoing knee surgery. Although he's started skating, Landeskog may not play during the regular season. His return in the playoffs would undoubtedly be huge, though. As it stands, the Avalanche look like they'll likely get into the postseason, currently occupying seventh place in the West with a 36-22-6 record.
Colorado is led by three players in particular. Nathan MacKinnon has scored 28 goals and tallied 51 assists, while Mikke Rantanen is enjoying a tremendous campaign with 42 goals and 34 assists. Cale Makar meanwhile is arguably the best defenceman in the league and has contributed 15 goals and 37 assists, too. Jared Bednar's group is playing solid hockey at the moment, going 6-3-1 in their last 10 outings. Saturday saw Makar score an absolute stunner in overtime against the Yotes, with Denis Malgin and MacKinnon also finding the back of the net. This game against the Habs is one the Avs will expect to win, especially considering their track record versus their Eastern Conference foes.
It's been a woeful season for Montreal, who own a 26-34-6 record. That's 15th in the East. No one expected much of this team anyway, but it's a rebuild is very much needed. Or, at least some changes. To make matters worse, the Canadiens are in putrid shape, looking to end a six-game skid on Monday. In fairness, however, the Habs have lost to some very good teams as of late, including the Golden Knights, Hurricanes, Rangers, and the Devils.
Montreal went down two goals in the first period and was just frankly overmatched by New Jersey over the weekend. They were outshot 37-24 in this contest as well. Denis Gurianov scored the lone goal for the Canadiens. On both ends, Montreal is severely struggling, allowing 3.55 goals per game and scoring a mere 2.67 per night. It won't get any easier Monday against a stout Colorado blue line led by Makar. On a more positive note, they're slightly better at the Bell Centre as opposed to on the road.
Avalanche vs Canadiens Picks
Colorado has won six of the last seven meetings against the Habs. To me, that's enough reason to take the visitors here. Also, cash in on the under. Given the history of low-scoring affairs between the two teams, it's worth a bet as well.
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