Montreal Canadiens vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction, 11/17/2022 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Montreal Canadiens vs Columbus Blue Jackets

Date: Thursday, November 17, 2022

Location: Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH

TV: Bally Sports Ohio

Odds/Point Spread: Canadiens (+150) Blue Jackets (-182)

Nationwide Arena is the site where the Columbus Blue Jackets (5-9-1) will compete against the Montreal Canadiens (8-7-1) on Thursday. The odds on this game have Montreal at +150 and Columbus is priced at -182. The betting total is set at 6.

The Montreal Canadiens will be looking to get a win in their next outing after their 5-1 defeat to the Devils their last time out. Montreal tallied 4 penalty mins in this matchup. In addition, they had 2 power play tries but weren't able to convert one of them into a goal. The Canadiens had a rough night on the offensive side of the ice in the loss. While out there on the ice, they netted 1 of the 26 shots they put on net.

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While playing at even strength, the Canadiens let the opposition score 42 goals while having 40 of their own. Montreal Canadiens opponents have tallied 54 power play tries (19th in professional hockey) and have earned 11 goals in those chances. In terms of their scoring capabilities, the Montreal Canadiens have accounted for 47 goals (21st in the NHL) on the campaign and have given up 53. Montreal has tried 481 shots and is the owner of a shot percentage of 9.8%. For the season, they have scored 17 points and their points percentage comes in at .531. The Canadiens thus far have had 540 shots tried against them and hold a save percentage of .902. Montreal steps onto the ice with 45 power play chances and they have scored 7 goals out of those tries, giving them a percentage of 15.56%.

The man in net for this game is Jake Allen. The opposition has been able to score 891 goals against Allen in his pro career and his goals against average per game is 2.62. Allen has been involved in 364 matchups over the course of his NHL career. He has a save percentage of .911 during his 20,414 mins on the ice. He has compiled a record of 173-132-35 and he has gotten the start in 344 games. Over the course of his career, Allen has earned 183 quality starts and his quality starts percentage is .532. Allen has had 9,985 shots taken against him and he has 9,094 saves.

The last time they were on the ice, Columbus faced off against the Flyers in a game where the Blue Jackets took home the victory by a tally of 5-4. They had 1 chance on the power play in this contest and tallied 1 on that opportunity. The Blue Jackets earned 5 goals out of the 33 shots on goal they pursued.

So far this year, the Columbus Blue Jackets have earned a total of 43 goals, 11 points, and a points percentage of .367. They have allowed 65 goals to be scored by of a combination of 56 goals at even strength and 9 goals while they were shorthanded. The Blue Jackets have accumulated 39 goals at even strength and 4 goals (32nd in professional hockey) while on the power play. They have recorded 38 opportunities on the power play and they have accumulated a power play rate of 10.53%. Columbus has put up 459 shots (28th in the NHL) and has a shooting percentage of 9.37%, while allowing the other team 543 shots. They have earned a penalty kill rate of 78.57% on their opponents 42 chances on the power play, and their save percentage comes in at 88.0%.

For the opposition you are likely to see Elvis Merzlikins defending the goal. He is sitting with 3,575 saves out of the 3,929 shots taken against him, giving him a rate of .910. Merzlikins has accrued a career record of 50-49-20 and has played in 129 games. He has started in 118 games and has played 7,088 minutes. Merzlikins' quality start percentage sits at 50.0% and he has 59 quality starts in his pro career. Opponents are averaging 3.00 goals per contest and he has given up 354 goals overall.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Parlays Pundit's Pick: Take Columbus (-182) and under 6 goals

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