The Edmonton Oilers (9-7-2) and Montreal Canadiens (6-10-2) meet Monday night. Puck drop from Bell Centre is set for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Oilers vs. Canadiens odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: First meeting; Edmonton swept 2-0 last season
Edmonton is playing the middle contest of a 3-game road swing through Ontario and Quebec. That trip opened with a Saturday 4-3 OT loss at the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Oilers, who outshot the Leafs 30-22, coughed up a 2-1 lead through 2 periods. The overtime game marked Edmonton’s third in a row.
The Canadiens also last played Saturday, when they bludgeoned the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1. Montreal is just 2-6-1 over its last 9 games.
Both Montreal losses to Edmonton last season were in overtime.
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Oilers at Canadiens odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NHL odds. Lines last updated at 9:07 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Oilers -275 (bet $275 to win $100) | Canadiens +220 (bet $100 to win $220)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Oilers -1.5 (-110) | Canadiens +1.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Oilers at Canadiens projected goalies
Stuart Skinner (5-5-2, 3.28 GAA, .877 SV%, 1 SO) vs. Sam Montembeault (5-8-1, 3.09 GAA, .898 SV%, 1 SO)
Skinner last played Saturday, allowing 4 goals in Edmonton’s loss at Toronto. He owns an .844 SV% over his last 3 Games.
Montembeault stopped 25 of 26 in Montreal’s Saturday triumph over the Blue Jackets. He has registered a .947 SV% over his last 135 minutes and logged a .902 SV% across 9 home Games.
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Oilers at Canadiens picks and predictions
Prediction
Oilers 4, Canadiens 2
Moneyline
Lots of juice playing havoc with these prices. AVOID.
Puck line/Against the spread
Edmonton is 6-2 over its last 8 meetings with the Canadiens. The Oilers are 4-1 in their last 5 games at Montreal. The Canadiens are 2-5 in their last 7 games on home ice.
The Oilers were a 104-point club a year ago. Things have been shaky so far this season, especially in special teams (17.4% power play, 66% penalty kill), and Edmonton has had a tough time gaining traction.
But over its last 4 games, Edmonton has gone 3-of-11 on the PP and 9-of-10 on the PK. TopDownHockey tracks all-situations goals vs. expected, and the Oilers have thus far filed the league’s unluckiest differential, a massive -20.4. Edmonton excels in cranking out big advantages in puck-possession and shot-quality analytics.
The Oilers are likely a value in the near term and in this one are squaring off against a Montreal club which is 3-6 ATS over its last 9. The Canadiens’ 2-6-1 mark over those 9 games includes a PK listing a bit (71.9%).
Montreal is 3-6-1 and allowing 4.20 goals per game when playing on 1 day of rest.
BACK THE OILERS -1.5 (-110).
Over/Under
Totals betting has yielded a 2-2 split over the last 4 series meetings, and there is almost no lean in this one. Expected-goal analytics project better days ahead for the Edmonton offense but also for a Montreal defense allowing 3.89 GPG.
With Montembeault looking sharp of late, peg just a sliver of a lean on the UNDER 6.5 (-110).
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