Lightning vs. Canadiens NHL Predictions, Picks and Odds - Dec. 28

The Tampa Bay Lightning (21-13-3) host the Montreal Canadiens (20-12-5) on Sunday, Dec. 28, with both teams coming off a victory in their last game. The bookmakers have made the Lightning solid favorites at -155 on the moneyline, and the Canadiens are at +130.

Tampa Bay won 4-2 on the road its last time out on Dec. 27 against the Florida Panthers. Anthony Cirelli (two assists) and Nikita Kucherov (two goals) each had two points for the Lightning.

Montreal won on the road in its most recent game on Dec. 23, 6-2 over the Boston Bruins. The Canadiens were led in that outing by Noah Dobson (three assists) and Lane Hutson (three assists).

Ahead of watching this matchup, here's our pick for which club will take home the victory in Sunday's hockey action.

Lightning vs. Canadiens Predictions & Pick

For insights on the upcoming game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens, computer-calculated moneyline, over/under, and score predictions are below, based on data from Dunkel Index.

• Prediction: Canadiens 4 - Lightning 3
• Pick OU: Over 6.5 (Dunkel projecting 6.94 goals)
  

Pick with the best in the business! Get free picks for every game, every week at the Dunkel Index.

Lightning vs. Canadiens Moneylines

Snag a peek below at the most recent moneylines for the Lightning-Canadiens matchup.

• Favorite: Lightning (-155)
• Underdog: Canadiens (+130)

Lightning Betting Insights

• In the 29 times this season the Lightning have been a moneyline favorite, they have finished 16-13 in those games.
• When playing with moneyline odds of -155 or shorter, Tampa Bay is 9-6 (winning 60.0% of the time).
• The Lightning's implied moneyline win probability is 60.8% in this game.
• Tampa Bay's 37 matches this season have finished above this game's total of 6.5 goals 15 times.

Canadiens Betting Insights

• This season the Canadiens have been an underdog 20 times, and won 10, or 50.0%, of those games.
• Montreal has a record of 1-3 in games when sportsbooks have them as underdogs of at least +130 on the moneyline.
• Oddsmakers have implied, given the moneyline set for this matchup, that the Canadiens have a 43.5% chance to win.
• Montreal has played 22 games this season that finished with more than 6.5 goals.

Lightning Key Stats

• Tampa Bay has scored the seventh-most goals in the league (121 total, 3.3 per game).
• The Lightning have conceded 96 total goals (2.6 per game), the third-fewest in league action.
• Its +25 goal differential is the third-best in the league.
• The 20 power-play goals the Lightning have scored this season (to rank 19th in the NHL) have come on 122 power-play chances.
• Tampa Bay ranks 25th in the league with a 16.39% power-play conversion rate.
• The three shorthanded goals the Lightning have scored this season rank 11th among NHL teams.
• Tampa Bay has the league's second-best penalty-kill percentage (84.8%).
• Tampa Bay has the 27th-ranked faceoff win rate in the NHL, at 46.8%.
• The Lightning shoot 11.9% as a team (fourth in the league).

Canadiens Key Stats

• Montreal's 121 goals on the season (3.3 per game) rank seventh in the NHL.
• The Canadiens' total of 121 goals conceded (3.3 per game) is 22nd in the league.
• With a goal differential of 0, the team is 14th in the league.
• The Canadiens have 27 power-play goals (on 104 chances), ninth in the NHL.
• Montreal's power-play percentage (25.96) ranks the team fifth in the league.
• This season, the Canadiens have three shorthanded goals (11th in league).
• At 77.69%, Montreal has the 22nd-ranked penalty-kill percentage in the league.
• Montreal is 19th in faceoff win percentage in the NHL (49.3%).
• The Canadiens' 12.9% shooting percentage is second in the league.