Minnesota Wild at Montreal Canadiens Betting Preview/Prop Picks

The 2021-22 NHL season has only a few weeks left, and teams continue to try and secure playoff positioning. The Minnesota Wild head to Montreal on Tuesday night to face the Canadiens and the visitors need a big win.

Minnesota comes into this game with 101 points on the year, and they have won four of their last five games. The Wild have slipped to third place in the Central Division but can still track down the St. Louis Blues with a strong finish.

Montreal comes into this game with just 51 points on the year, and this has been one of the most disappointing seasons in NHL history. The Canadiens have currently lost five straight games, and they are limping into the finish line. 

The Minnesota Wild are big betting favorites in this game as the moneyline odds are set at -259. 

Wild Winning With Offense

The Minnesota Wild come into this game scoring 3.7 goals per game, and they can overwhelm opponents on that end of the ice. Minnesota has scored 24 goals in their last five games, and this could be another big night on offense. 

Kirill Kaprizov is the clear leader on offense for the Minnesota Wild, and he is one of the best players in the league. Kaprizov has scored 43 goals and also has 50 assists on the year, and he seems to keep getting better.

The biggest issue for Minnesota has been a lack of defense at times, as they are allowing over three goals per game. Minnesota struggles to kill off penalties, and that could be an issue. 

Montreal Missing Some Defense

The Montreal Canadiens have been a terrible defensive team this season as they are allowing nearly 3.9 goals per game. Veteran goaltender Carey Price is now back in the fold, but he won’t be seeing a ton of time as he returns from injury.

Montreal did just score four goals in their most recent game, but they also allowed eight in that contest. The Canadiens have been comfortable with playing at a fast pace, but they sometimes lose focus on the defensive end.

Center Nick Suzuki leads the team with 20 goals and 37 assists, and he is good enough to create some problems for the Wild. 

Canadiens Complete the Upset

Montreal has had some rough stretches of hockey this season, but they might currently be in their worst period yet. Even though the Canadiens have not been playing well, they are going to turn things around at some point.

The Minnesota Wild continue to be a terrific offensive team, but the lack of defensive focus at times can be a major issue. Montreal is a team that does have some offensive talent, and they can surprise Minnesota in this one. 

Upsets happen every single day in the NHL, and this will be a classic example of that. Bet the Montreal Canadiens moneyline as they protect home ice and pull off the stunning win over the Minnesota Wild.

Prop Picks

Minnesota (+120) UNDER 3.5 Goals

The Wild are averaging 3.7 goals per game on offense, which ranks No. 5 in the league. Scores have gone UNDER in five of Minnesota’s last seven games versus Eastern Conference opponents.

With Dunkel predicting a Canadiens’ victory by the score of 3-2, take the Wild (+120) to finish UNDER their Vegas team total of 3.5 goals against Montreal.

Rem Pitlick (-195) UNDER 0.5 Points

Pitlick has 22 points on the season, which ranks No. 10 on the Canadiens. The Habs center has only 14 points in 30 games played at home and no points in his last five games overall.

With Dunkel predicting the final score finishing UNDER the Vegas total, take Pitlick (-195) to finish UNDER 0.5 points versus the Wild.

Keep up with your latest NHL news coverage and betting pick previews at The Dunkel Index.