The Montreal Canadiens (19-18-3) travel to face off against the Washington Capitals (27-10-4) on Friday, January 10th. This game will be played at Capital One Arena in Washington and televised on ESPN+. Both the Canadiens and Capitals will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 ET.

Canadiens vs Capitals

The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Montreal dropped to 19-18-3 after a 3-1 road loss to the Penguins. The Canadiens entered the game as underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 4 goals fell short of the pre-game line of 6.5.

The Canadiens didn’t score until the third period, when Christian Dvorak found the net at 14:28. Pittsburgh added an empty-net goal at 19:15 to seal the win.

The Washington Capitals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Following a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes, the Capitals now sit at 27-10-4. Washington had a 2-1 lead after the first period, but Carolina scored three unanswered goals, including an empty-netter, to secure the win.

The total for the game was set at 6 goals, and the combined score hit that number exactly. Washington, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover. Both of the Capitals’ goals came in the first period.

Montreal Offense Breakdown

Montreal’s offense struggled in their 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh, with Christian Dvorak netting his first goal of the season at 14:28 in the third period. The Canadiens fired 26 shots on goal but were held scoreless until Dvorak’s late tally.

Juraj Slafkovsky picked up his 7th assist, while Emil Heineman notched his first. The Canadiens were plagued by 20 giveaways and failed to convert on the power play.

Capitals Offense Breakdown

Washington’s offense was held to just two goals in their 4-2 loss to Carolina. Alex Ovechkin netted his 7th goal of the season on a power play, while Brandon Duhaime added his 2nd goal. The Capitals managed 21 shots on goal but were hindered by 15 giveaways.

Both of Washington’s goals came in the first period, with Duhaime scoring at the 19:49 mark. Nic Dowd picked up his 2nd assist of the season, and Dylan Strome added his 13th assist on Ovechkin’s goal.

Montreal Team Defense

Montreal’s defense will look to bounce back after giving up three goals to the Penguins, including the first two of the game and a late empty-netter. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense added 4 takeaways and 28 hits. The Canadiens also took 13 penalty minutes, leading to a Pittsburgh power-play goal late in the second period.

Washington Team Defense

Washington’s defense will look to bounce back after allowing three unanswered goals to the Hurricanes, including two in the 2nd period and one in the 3rd. The Capitals had taken a 2-1 lead late in the 1st period. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves with a 93.2% save percentage, but the defense struggled, giving up 44 shots on goal. The Capitals also had 16 blocks, 20 hits, and 2 takeaways.

Canadiens vs Capitals Trends

• In their last five road games, Montreal has averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 1 . The team’s record in this stretch was 4-1 while going 4-1 vs. the spread.
• When looking at their past ten home matchups, Washington has an puck line record of 6-4 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 7-3 overall in these games.
• The Capitals have played well in their last five games as the betting underdog, going 3-2 straight up and 3-2 against the spread.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Canadiens have gone 4-6 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 8-2.

Canadiens vs Capitals Prediction

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Canadiens to defeat the Capitals while playing on the road. Given the current moneyline odds at +178, I’m placing a wager on the Canadiens to win outright.

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 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet on the over.

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

* 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.