The Colorado Avalanche look to continue their late-season push toward the playoffs when they face off against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre tonight.
The Avalanche come into the contest as a sizable -275 road favorite against a Canadiens squad that enters play on a six-game losing skid. Colorado hasn’t been too hot either, though, with just two wins in its last six outings.
Can Montreal stop the bleeding or will Colorado’s star power guide the Avs to a crucial victory? Find out in our NHL picks and predictions for Monday, March 13.
Avalanche vs Canadiens best odds
Avalanche vs Canadiens picks and predictions
It should come as no surprise that the Montreal Canadiens are one of the worst teams in the NHL at this point in the season as they’re really just looking forward to this summer’s upcoming entry draft.
It doesn’t help that Montreal is also missing most of its young talent with Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach and Christian Dvorak all sidelined.
The Canadiens have scored just 2.33 goals per game throughout their six-game losing streak as captain Nick Suzuki, the team’s leading scorer, has amassed just a goal and an assist over that span. Meanwhile Alex Belzile (three goals, one assist) and Jonathan Drouin (one goal, three assists) top the team with four points apiece during the skid.
The Colorado Avalanche haven’t been much better after giving up seven goals to both the Devils and Stars earlier this month, but have won two of their last three contests.
Colorado eked out a 3-2 overtime win over lowly Arizona on Saturday thanks to a solo effort from Cale Makar, though they did outshoot the Coyotes 44-20, which suggests the Avalanche likely deserved a more convincing victory.
Nathan MacKinnon has been on fire with 25 points in his last 17 games and he’ll likely have to lead the charge offensively as the Avalanche have seen their offense plummet from 3.76 goals per game (fourth) in 2021-22 to 3.16 (15th) this season.
MacKinnon has picked up 2+ points in nine of his last 14 outings and he’s got a great shot at doing so again vs. a struggling Canadiens team.
My best bet: Nathan MacKinnon Over 1.5 points (+110)
Looking to do some NHL betting? Here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users at FanDuel can get a deposit bonus 10x the value of their first bet (up to $200)! Sign Up Now
B) New users at DraftKings can bet $5 and get $200 in bonus bets! Sign Up Now
*Eligible USA locations only. Also, check out our full list of best sportsbook promotions for 2023.
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Avalanche vs Canadiens moneyline analysis
The Avalanche come into tonight’s contest as the clear favorite and it’s hard to argue with the books on this one. While Colorado hasn’t been as dominant as last season, the Avs are 8-3-1 in their last 12 games and certainly trending in the right direction as they gear up for the playoffs.
Alexandar Georgiev, who likely gets the call in net, has not had a great start to the month of March with a .880 SV% through five starts, but he did post a sterling .929 SV% and 2.45 GAA in February. The Canadiens have just one 20-goal scorer in their lineup in Suzuki and own the fifth-worst offense in the NHL (2.67 gpg) so it’s hard to imagine them putting many pucks in the Avalanche net.
If Montreal is going to make this a contest, the Habs will have to put forth an impressive shutdown effort. Colorado’s offense has been carried by MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen this season, with the duo combining for 70 of the team’s 202 goals. If the Habs can somehow contain that duo, they’ll have a real shot – but that’s obviously much easier said than done.
The head-to-head history sides with the Avalanche as well, with Colorado winning four straight meetings and six of the last seven dating to the 2017-18 season. Interestingly, the Avs’ last two wins over the Habs came in overtime, so Montreal has played them tougher than you might expect.
Still, Colorado has the clear edge barring a heroic defensive effort from Montreal or a meltdown from Georgiev.
Avalanche vs Canadiens Over/Under analysis
When you think of the Avalanche, you generally think of a talented, high-octane offense but that hasn’t really been the case this season with so many moving parts around the team.
Gabriel Landeskog has yet to play a game this year, Nazem Kadri departed for Calgary, and Cale Makar hasn’t been quite as dominant as he was during last season’s Norris Trophy-winning campaign. All of that has amounted to Colorado cashing the Under in 37 of its 60 games this season, including three of the last four.
While the Canadiens are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league, they’ve actually cashed the Over in three of their last four contests, losing 4-3 in each of those games – though I wouldn’t necessarily expect this trend to continue.
Speaking of surprising trends, the Under is 7-0 in the last seven meetings with the teams combining for five goals or fewer in each of those games.
With the total for this one opening at 6, history suggests that the Under is the smart choice tonight.
Avalanche vs Canadiens betting trend to know
The Under is 4-1 in Colorado’s last five games vs. teams with losing records. Find more NHL betting trends for Avalanche vs Canadiens.
Avalanche vs Canadiens game info
| Location: | Bell Centre, Montreal, QC |
| Date: | Monday, March 13, 2023 |
| Puck drop: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Sportsnet East, Altitude |
Avalanche vs Canadiens key injuries
