Wednesday’s small NHL slate will conclude with the Montreal Canadiens taking on the Vancouver Cancuks at Rogers Arena in the nightcap. These two teams have combined to go 14-6 straight up in their last 10 games and are riding a pair of scorching-hot offenses — a recipe for success in regards to the NHL betting Over.
Can the transformed Canadiens keep piling up wins under Martin St. Louis? Can the Canucks make up some ground in the West and contend for the No. 8 spot in the conference with 25 games to go? Find out in our free NHL picks and predictions for Canadiens vs. Canucks.
Canadiens vs Canucks odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Canucks opened as -200 favorites on the moneyline and have since moved to -220 with a total of 6.0 that leans to the Over. Vancouver won, 2-1, as +110 road favorites back in November with a closing total of 5.5.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Canadiens vs Canucks predictions
Predictions made on 3/9/2022 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Canadiens vs Canucks game info
• Location: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
• Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2022
• Puck drop: 10:30 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT, Sportsnet
Canadiens vs Canucks betting preview
Key injuries
Canadiens: Jeff Petry D (Questionable), Jake Evans F (Questionable), Andrew Hammond G (Out), Carey Price G (Out).
Canucks: Jason Dickinson F (Questionable).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Canadiens vs Canucks head-to-head record since 2021
Canadiens: 6-4 SU, 42 goals for.
Canucks: 4-6 SU, 29 goals for.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 7-0 in the Canucks’ last seven games as a favorite. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Canucks.
Canadiens vs Canucks picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
We won’t lie, after the Montreal Canadiens lost 8-4 to Winnipeg last week, we thought the Habs were reverting to their old ways. However, to our surprise, this team bounced back brilliantly after the one-sided defeat and picked up four points versus the Oilers and Flames while scoring 10 goals in the Alberta sweep.
New bench boss Martin St. Louis has changed the entire feeling around this franchise and he is 7-4 SU since taking over the head coaching role. Montreal is winning with third and fourth-string goaltending while injuries and trades have seemingly made this team even more competitive.
Over the last 14 days, Nick Suzuki has been a force and is averaging 1.00 goals and 1.17 assists per game. The top line of Cole Caufield-Suzuki-Josh Anderson has been one of the hottest trios in hockey of late and has proven on the current five-game road trip they can’t be stopped.
The three forwards have combined for nine goals and 19 total points over their last five games. Suzuki has recorded a three-point game over that five-game stretch thrice, including two coming versus the Oilers and Flames.
Montreal has also shown it can win multiple ways since the wins have started piling up. It has gotten solid goaltending from Samuel Montembeault and can also win shootouts, as its 5-4 OT win versus the Flames proved.
Backing the Habs has been a profitable endeavor of late as the team has wins of +215, +352, +134, -110, +331, +242, and +235 over the last three weeks alone. Tonight, they enter as +180 dogs which seems incredibly long for a team that has knocked off the Maple Leafs, Flames, and Blues in that span.
Vancouver returns home following a four-game road trip where it collected six of a possible eight points and capped it off with a 6-4 win over the Maple Leafs. Despite the good play of late, paying -220 for the Canucks seems long.
The Canucks have been favored on the ML at -200 or more just once this season, which was a home win over the Coyotes as -230 favorites. We might pay the -230 if this was a pre-St. Louis Canadiens’ team, but Montreal has been on a tear over the last 30 days and we’re happy to get some solid odds at +180.
Vancouver’s offense is rolling right now and scoring at one of the highest rates in the league but, as we mentioned above, Montreal has the confidence right now to win a high-scoring, back-and-forth game. The Canucks have been anything but stout in the backend and their 3.80 GAA over their last 10 games is the seventh-worst mark in hockey over the last 30 days.
The Vancouver penalty kill is killing just 66.7% of its penalties over its last 10 games and will face a Montreal power play that has scored in three straight and has drawn 16 total penalties over that stretch.
We thought the Habs’ success might just be a flash in the pan, but their results following the loss to Winnipeg have proven us wrong. We’re happy to keep riding the Canadiens who could be 15-20 points long in the ML price tonight. Montreal won six of the nine meetings last season including three of five in Vancouver.
Prediction: Canadiens ML (+180)
Over/Under analysis
Over the last two seasons, the Over is 6-3-1 in 10 meetings with 64 total goals scored and if Vancouver’s recent play is any indication tonight, we could be seeing plenty of goals again at Rogers Arena.
Vancouver is riding an eight-game Over streak and is 11-1 O/U across its last 12 games. Over that stretch, the offense is scoring 4.25 goals per game (2nd in the league) while also allowing 3.58 goals per game. That 7.83 total goals per game is the second-highest total in the NHL.
This is a team with a hot offense, a 28% power play, and a 71% penalty kill. It’s run-and-gun right now for Bruce Boudreau’s team, who is still searching for a playoff spot and is playing for a lot tonight.
Looking at the possible goalie matchup of Demko vs. Montembeault, we see two goalies who have seen plenty of high-scoring games. Demko is 9-1 to the Over in his last 10 starts and owns a 2.81 GAA.
Montembeault is a third-string goalie and although he has done a great job of filling in, this is not an NHL-caliber No. 1. Since January 1, the Montreal goaltender has an ugly 3.54 GAA while the Over is 8-3 in his last 11 starts.
Special teams will play a big part in this game. On the season, both clubs rank in the Bottom 5 in penalty killing, and Montreal takes 4.20 minor penalties per game which is also a Bottom-5 mark. Each club is also quite good at drawing penalties and both rank inside the Top 10. The Habs have been shorthanded or on the power play 29 times over their last four games alone.
With this total still sitting at 6.0, we’re happy to ride the Over streak of the Canucks. Both offenses are playing their best hockey of the season and with neither team impressing on the penalty kill, one or two extra-strength markers is a real possibility.
Prediction: Over 6 (-120)
Best bet
Overs have been hitting at a 63.5% rate over the last week as it seems the league is going through one of its Over streaks. Both of these offenses have been lighting the lamp recently while the Canucks have the highest-scoring team over the last 30 days and are 8-0 to the over in their last eight. All of this and a total at 6.0? Sign us up.
This total is starting to move and could close at 6.5.
Pick: Over 6 (-120)
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