The Montreal Canadiens are right back at it Saturday night against the Dallas Stars in a battle between two of the hottest teams in hockey.
Montreal enters play having won eight of the last 10 games while the Stars have won seven of 10 and are currently riding a six-game winning streak.
My Canadiens vs. Stars predictions expect both teams to lean on their strong defensive play in a competitive affair.
Let’s take a closer look with my NHL picks for January 11.
Canadiens vs Stars prediction
My Canadiens pick
Under 6 (-105 at BET99)
My Canadiens analysis
The Montreal Canadiens are on an impressive 8-2 run. One of the biggest reasons for their recent success is that they’ve played with more structure and really bottled teams up defensively.
Over the past 10 games, they rank Top-5 in shot suppression and 8th in expected goals against during 5v5 play. They’ve also killed penalties effectively, ranking Top-10 in terms of limiting shots, expected goals, and real ones.
That’s why – despite performing very well offensively – only four of their past 10 games have gone Over the number.
I expect that trend to continue Saturday night against the Dallas Stars. The Stars are a dangerous offensive team but they’re also great defensively. They rank 8th in shot suppression at 5v5 over the last 10 games while no team has done a better job defensively on the penalty kill.
This will be a difficult matchup for the Canadiens to generate offense, especially if Patrik Laine is still not ready to return.
The Stars have also been one of the league’s friendliest teams to Under backers, owning a 12-22-6 O/U record on the season.
We shouldn’t expect any different with key support pieces like Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Also working in favor of a low-scoring affair is the goaltending matchup. Both teams will have their starters available in Jake Oettinger and Sam Montembeault.
Oettinger has conceded two goals or fewer in six of his past eight games while Montembeault has also hit his stride, winning six of his last eight starts and holding opponents to two or less in half of them.
The Canadiens will no doubt be relying on their improved defensive play and Montembeault in a back-to-back situation against a very strong Stars team.
That should lead to a relatively low-scoring affair at the Bell Centre.
Canadiens vs Stars same-game parlay (SGP)
Under 6 goals
Thomas Harley Under 2.5 shots
Matt Duchene Over 1.5 shots
Thomas Harley has struggled to generate shots this season, especially on the road. He has recorded at least three shots in a game only four times through 18 appearances away from Dallas.
The Canadiens have done a number on opposing defensemen of late, allowing the 3rd fewest shots per game to the position over the last 10. This is a tough spot to expect a spike from Harley.
Matt Duchene has been a beneficiary of the recent injuries up front in Dallas. He’s seen more ice time and made the most of it, averaging 2.4 shots on goal per game over his last 10.
His shot volume has spiked noticeably in that time, as his attempt average soared from 3.6 on the year to 4.7.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Canadiens vs Stars odds
Canadiens vs Stars live odds
Canadiens vs Stars opening odds
- Puck line: Montreal +186 | Dallas -215
- Moneyline: Montreal +1.5 (-141) | Dallas -1.5 (+123)
- Over/Under: Over 6 (+100) | Under 6 (-115)
Odds courtesy of BET99
Canadiens vs Stars trend
Duchene has also recorded multiple shots in six straight games against the Canadiens, averaging 3.7 in that span. Find more NHL betting trends for Stars vs. Canadiens. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Stars.
How to watch Canadiens vs Stars
| Location: | Bell Centre, Montreal, QC |
| Date: | Saturday, 1-11-2025 |
| Puck drop: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Sportsnet East |
Canadiens vs Stars latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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