Making on a bet on this NHL game featuring the Canadiens versus the Panthers? The puck drops at 7:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, FL. The over/under for this game is set at 6.5 goals, and the Panthers are favored by -1.5 against the Canadiens in a Atlantic division matchup.

MONTREAL CANADIENS VS FLORIDA PANTHERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Florida Panthers -1.5

This game will be played at FLA Live Arena at 7:00 ET on Thursday, February 29th.

WHY BET THE FLORIDA PANTHERS:

  • With a 1.5-goal advantage on the spread, our projections favor the Panthers to secure a 4-3 victory.
  • Take the Panthers on the moneyline
  • On the spread, we like Canadiens (+1.5)

Will the Canadiens Make it Happen on the Road?

Heading into tonight’s game, the Canadiens have a record of 23-28-8, which puts them in 7th place in the Atlantic Division and 14th in the Eastern Conference. On the road, Montreal is 11-12-5 this season and have lost three straight games away from home. As the underdog, the Canadiens have gone 19-27-8 this season.

Over their last ten games, Montreal has gone just 3-7, and they are just 1-4 over their last five games. In their most recent three games, the Canadiens have gone 1-2. So far this season, Montreal has been the underdog in 54 of their 59 games.

Montreal comes into the game with an average scoring differential of -.7 goals per game. So far, the Canadiens have gone 37-22 against the puck line, including going 7-3 in their last ten games.

As the underdog, the Canadiens have a puck line mark of 36-18 this year, including going 4-1 in their last five games. In their 54 games as the underdog, Montreal has an average scoring margin of -.9 goals per contest.

On average, Montreal’s games have finished with 6.4 goals per game. The season’s average over/under line stands at 6.3. In total, the Canadiens come in with an over/under record of 30-27-2.

When looking at their past three road matchups, Montreal has an puck line record of 1-2 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 0-3 overall in these games.

The Canadiens come into the game scoring an average of 2.8 goals per game, putting them 27th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 27th in the league. In terms of power play goals, the Canadiens offense is 18th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they are 17th in the NHL.

Montreal will be looking for a good game from Nick Suzuki who leads the team in scoring with 23 goals, ranking 35th in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, Suzuki has 33 assists this season.

The Panthers defense is currently 29th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 27.5 shots per game against Florida. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 10th with 4 shutouts.

Goalie Sam Montembeault gets the start and has made 27 starts this season. His record at this point is 13-10, and his save percentage is 0.766%.

Will Florida Pull Through as the Favored Home Team?

At home this season, the Panthers have been dominant, going 19-8-2. Overall, Florida is 39-16-4 and has won eight straight games as the favorite. In the Eastern Conference, the Panthers are in second place and have won four of their last five games.

Over their last ten games, Florida has gone 8-2 and has won five straight home games. Against the Eastern Conference, the Panthers have gone 22-8 this season. In the Atlantic Division, Florida is in first place.

Florida has a puck line record of 29-30 this year, including going 6-4 in their last ten games. They have gone 20-28 against the puck line when favored, and their average scoring margin is +.9 goals per game.

So far, the Panthers have 24 wins by multiple goals, and they have lost 12 games by more than one goal. In their last five games, the team’s puck line record is 2-3, and they have gone 15-9 against the puck line as the underdog.

For the season, Florida’s games have finished with an average of 5.7 goals per game. Their average over/under line for the season is 6.3. Overall, the Panthers have an over/under record of 20-37-2.

In their last three games away from home, the Canadiens have a straight up record of 0-3 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 2 goals per game in these contests.

On offense, the Panthers are averaging 3.3 goals per game which is 12th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 1st in the league. This season, the Panthers have a 28-14 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. In games with fewer shots on goal, they hold a 8-2 record.

Florida’s current leading scorer is Sam Reinhart. This season, he has 39 goals, which puts him 3rd in the NHL. Reinhart also comes into the game with 29 assists.

Defensively, the Panthers are currently 29th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 27.5 shots per game against Florida. They also are 10th in shutouts, coming in with 4 shutouts.

Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky comes into the game having made 43 starts this season. So far, his record is 29-11 and he has a save percentage of 0.935%.