The Nashville Predators (7-13-6) travel to face off against the Montreal Canadiens (9-13-3) on Thursday, December 5th. This game will be played at Bell Centre in Montreal and televised on ESPN+. The Predators are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Canadiens are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Penguins. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Predators vs Canadiens

The Nashville Predators Are Coming Off A Win

Nashville improved to 7-13-6 with a 5-2 win over the Avalanche. The Predators covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5.

After falling behind 1-0 in the second period, the Predators responded with five unanswered goals. All five of Nashville’s goals came from different players.

The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Montreal’s 3-1 loss to the Penguins dropped their record to 9-13-3. The Canadiens were underdogs on the puck line, and the total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, but the teams combined for just 4.

The Penguins scored the first two goals before Christian Dvorak got Montreal on the board in the third period. Pittsburgh sealed the game with an empty-net goal at 19:15 in the final period.

Nashville Offense Breakdown

In their 5-2 win over the Avalanche, Nashville’s offense was held scoreless in the first period before Steven Stamkos netted his second goal of the season on a power play. Colton Sissons followed with his first goal of the year. Roman Josi added another, also on a power play, marking his first goal of the season. Filip Forsberg scored his seventh on an empty net, and Gustav Nyquist closed the scoring with his fourth, also on an empty net.

The Predators fired 25 shots on goal and recorded 15 giveaways. They picked up two power-play goals and added two empty-netters in the final 1:14 of the game.

Canadiens Offense Breakdown

Montreal’s offense struggled in their 3-1 loss to the Penguins, managing just one goal. 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 seventh.

The Canadiens fired 26 shots on goal but were hampered by 20 giveaways. They failed to capitalize on any power play opportunities and were held scoreless until the third period.

Nashville Team Defense

Defensively, Juuse Saros made 29 saves with a 93.5% save percentage. The Predators’ defense also contributed 4 takeaways, 23 hits, and 25 blocks. They’ll look to tighten up early, as they conceded the first goal 2:54 into the second period and another at 17:43 in the third.

Montreal Team Defense

Montreal’s defense gave up the first two goals in their last game, both scored by Sidney Crosby. The first came in the first period at 15:57, and the second, a power-play goal, was at 18:40 in the second. The Canadiens pulled within 2-1 in the third, but an empty-net goal by the Penguins sealed the win. Goalie Sam Montembeault recorded 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage. Defensively, the Canadiens had 4 takeaways and 28 hits.

Predators vs Canadiens Trends

• When looking at their past three road matchups, Nashville has an puck line record of 2-1 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 0-3 overall in these games.
• Montreal has played well in their previous five home games, going 3-2 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 2. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 4-1.
• In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Canadiens have a straight up record of 2-3 and an puck line mark of 4-1.
• The last ten games that Nashville was favored, they have an puck line mark of 4-6 while going 4-6 straight up.

Predators vs Canadiens Prediction

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Canadiens to secure a victory over the Predators at home. With the moneyline currently set at +116, I’m locking in my 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 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making 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.