The Montreal Canadiens (14-16-3) travel to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets (13-16-6) on Monday, December 23rd. This game will be played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus and televised on ESPN+. Both the Canadiens and Blue Jackets will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 ET.

Canadiens vs Blue Jackets

The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Montreal’s 3-1 loss to the Penguins dropped their record to 14-16-3. The Canadiens entered the game 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.

All of Pittsburgh’s goals came before Montreal got on the board, with the Canadiens’ lone goal coming from Christian Dvorak in the third period. The Canadiens have now lost two straight games.

The Columbus Blue Jackets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Columbus dropped to 13-16-6 after a 7-2 loss to the Capitals. The Blue Jackets’ defense struggled from the start, allowing five goals in the first period.

As underdogs on the puck line, Columbus failed to cover. The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 9 goals easily surpassed that number.

Montreal Offense Breakdown

Montreal’s offense was held to just one goal in their 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh. Christian Dvorak scored his first goal of the season, while Emil Heineman picked up his first assist and Juraj Slafkovsky added his seventh.

The Canadiens fired 26 shots on goal but were hampered by 20 giveaways. They were shut out until Dvorak’s goal at 14:28 in the third period.

Blue Jackets Offense Breakdown

Columbus fired 36 shots on goal but only managed two scores in their 7-2 loss to Washington. Damon Severson netted his 4th goal of the season, while Kevin Labanc added his 2nd. The Blue Jackets were held scoreless in the first period before Severson got them on the board 49 seconds into the second period.

Columbus recorded 13 giveaways and failed to capitalize on any power play opportunities. Sean Monahan picked up his 5th assist of the season on Labanc’s goal, and Zach Aston-Reese earned his 2nd assist.

Montreal Team Defense

Montreal’s defense gave up the first two goals of the game, with both coming from Sidney Crosby. The first was at 15:57 in the 1st period, and the second was a power-play goal at 18:40 in the 2nd. The Canadiens had closed the gap to 2-1 in the 3rd, but they conceded an empty netter with 45 seconds left. Goalie Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense recorded 4 takeaways and 28 hits.

Columbus Team Defense

Columbus’ defense struggled early, giving up five goals in the first period, including the first just 56 seconds into the game. Daniil Tarasov finished with a 68.2% save percentage on 15 saves. The Blue Jackets also allowed the final goal at 1:26 in the 3rd period.

Canadiens vs Blue Jackets Trends

• Although Montreal has a straight up record of 1-2 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 1-2. The team averaged 3 goals per game in these games.
• Across their last five home contests, Columbus has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 2-3, while averaging 3 goals per game.
• Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Blue Jackets have a straight up record of 2-8. But, their mark vs the puck line was just 4-6.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Canadiens have gone 5-5 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 9-1.

Canadiens vs Blue Jackets Prediction

If you’re looking for a moneyline pick, my choice is the Canadiens to take down the Blue Jackets on the road. With the moneyline currently at +114, I’m placing my bet on the Canadiens straight-up.

Our projections have the Canadiens pulling out a win as the underdog. But if you’re not as bullish as we are on the Canadiens, we’d recommend at least getting a bet down on them to cover the puck line.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6.5 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.