Tuesday night brings a battle between two of the worst teams in their respective conferences as the Chicago Blackhawks hit the road to face the Montreal Canadiens. The puck is expected to drop at 7 PM ET at the Bell Centre. Chicago is basically in a rebuild with the exception of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane still around and just lost to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night. Montreal is in a similar position but has been playing better lately, winning back-to-back games. They just beat a solid Edmonton Oilers team 6-2. Keep reading for the Blackhawks vs Canadiens prediction.
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.
Blackhawks vs Canadiens Odds
Montreal is favored at all three sportsbooks at -140, 145, and -150. Chicago comes back at around +125. The Habs won the first meeting in October, but the Blackhawks had taken four straight games against the Canadiens prior to that.
Chicago vs Montreal Preview
The Hawks are truly in the gutter of the Western Conference right now, sitting in 16th place with a brutal 16-30-5 record. Columbus is the only team in the league with an even worst record in 2022-23. On both ends of the ice, Chicago is downright awful, ranking 31st in goals scored and 26th in goals allowed. It is understandable since they did trade away a lot of their core last offseason to jumpstart the rebuild, but it won't really begin until Toews and Kane are gone, too. There's a strong belief the two franchise cornerstones will move on after this season. Max Domi is the leading catalyst for the Blackhawks, scoring 14 goals and tallying 21 assists, while Kane has 26 assists and nine goals as well.
On a more positive note, Chicago appears to be playing slightly better as of late, going 5-4-1 in their last 10 outings. Winnipeg was far too much for them on Saturday though, with the Jets scoring three of their four goals in the second period alone. Tyler Johnson netted the lone goal for the Hawks.
The Habs aren't in much better shape than Chicago, currently occupying second-last in the East with a 22-27-4 record. Although you can say injuries are a big reason for their demise this year, it's also just a lack of consistency. They really don't shine in any particular area, ranking 28th in both goals scored and goals conceded. Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki are about the only bright spots, but Caufield is now out for the rest of the campaign with a shoulder injury and even admitted he would've played through the ailment if Montreal wasn't so poor. Before he went on the shelf, the 22-year-old had 26 goals and 10 assists. Suzuki meanwhile has netted 17 times and tallied 25 assists.
In the win over Edmonton, it was defenceman Jordan Harris who led the way. He scored twice while four others found the net as the Habs put six past Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner. This was definitely a victory no one was expecting, especially since Connor McDavid and Co. are always a tough out. And just a day before taking them down, Montreal also beat the Islanders in overtime. They will be confident when Chicago comes to town. The Habs also play much better at home as opposed to on the road.
Blackhawks vs Canadiens Prediction
All signs point to Montreal getting it done here. They have momentum and will be playing in front of their home fans. I'm liking the Habs moneyline.
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