Minnesota Wild vs Montreal Canadiens Picks and Predictions November 14th 2024

Don’t miss out on the NHL showdown between the Canadiens and Wild. The game is starting at 8:00 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Wild at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this game is set at 6.5 goals, and the Wild are favored by -1.5 vs. the Canadiens in a non-conference matchup.

Montreal vs. Minnesota Key Information

• Teams: Canadiens at Wild
• Where: Xcel Energy Center St. Paul
• Date: Thursday, November 14th
• Betting Odds MIN -264 | MON +217 O/U 6.5

The Canadiens Can Win If…

Montreal’s 3-1 loss to the Penguins dropped their record to 5-9-2. The Canadiens entered as underdogs on the puck line, and the total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 4 fell short of that mark.

The Penguins scored the first two goals before Christian Dvorak put Montreal on the board in the third period. Pittsburgh added an empty-net goal to seal the game.

Montreal’s offense managed just one goal in their 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh. Christian Dvorak found the net for the first time this season, scoring 5:32 into the third period. Emil Heineman picked up his first assist, while Juraj Slafkovsky added his 7th assist of the year.

The Canadiens took 26 shots on goal but were hampered by 20 giveaways. They went scoreless in the first two periods before Dvorak’s goal in the third.

Defensively, the Canadiens will look to improve after allowing the first two goals in their previous game against Pittsburgh, including one at 18:40 in the second period. They also gave up an empty-netter with 45 seconds left in the third. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, and the defense added 4 takeaways and 28 hits.

• Across Montreal’s last three regular season games, their record sits at 1-2. This includes going 1-2 vs. the puck line along with an over-under mark of 2-1.
• Across Montreal’s last ten regular season games, their record sits at 3-7. Across these games, their puck line record was just 4-6, while posting an over-under record of 7-3.

The Wild Can Win If…

With a 2-1 overtime win against the Maple Leafs, the Wild improved to 10-2-3. Minnesota was favored on the puck line, but didn’t cover. The total for the game was set at 6 goals, and the 3 combined goals fell short of that mark.

Ryan Hartman scored first for the Wild at 9:41 in the first period, but the Maple Leafs tied it up with just 52 seconds left in the period. Matt Boldy netted the game-winner at 2:14 in overtime.

Ryan Hartman netted his third goal of the season, getting the Wild on the board at 9:41 in the first period. Matt Boldy followed with his sixth goal, securing the win with an overtime strike at 2:14.

Jared Spurgeon contributed with two assists, bringing his season total to three. The Wild fired 33 shots on goal but were held scoreless in the second and third periods.

Defensively, the Wild will look to build off their previous performance, where they allowed just 1 goal to the Maple Leafs. Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves and posted a 96.4% save percentage. As a team, the Wild finished with 7 takeaways and 22 hits.

• The Wild have posted a 2-1 record in their previous three games. Their strong play has also resulted in an puck line mark of 2-1 (last 3). They had an over/under mark of 2-1 in those same games.
• Over their last ten regular season games, the Wild have gone 7-3 straight up. The team’s record vs the puck line was just 6-4, in addition to an over-under mark of 6-2-2.

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The Lean

For a moneyline pick, I’m taking the Canadiens to pick up on a win over the Wild and the road. With the moneyline sitting at +217, I’ll be locking in a bet on the Canadiens straight-up.

If you’re looking to get a bet down on this matchup, we foresee the Canadiens winning the underdog. However, if you’re not as confident in the Canadiens straight-up, we’d still recommend placing a bet on them to cover the puck line.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 6.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet on the over.