The Eastern Conference’s fifth-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins will look for a second straight win and the qualification round series lead against the 12th-seeded Montreal Canadiens Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the Penguins-Canadiens NHL betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Penguins-Canadiens: Projected starting goalies
Matt Murray vs. Carey Price
Murray allowed just four goals on 62 shots in the first two postseason games for a .935 save percentage and 1.79 goals against average. The two-time Stanley Cup winner has improved his postseason career numbers to a .922 SV% and 2.14 GAA, and he has held off backup Tristan Jarry.
Price is nearly single-handedly keeping the Canadiens in this series. He has stopped 74 of 78 shots faced through two games, with both of those numbers being league highs early in this 24-team postseason. His career .915 SV% and 2.51 GAA are weighed down by his lackluster early-career numbers, as he has been dramatically better in more recent trips to the playoffs.
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Penguins vs. Canadiens: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at Wednesday at 3:15 p.m. ET.
Prediction
Penguins 3, Canadiens 1
Moneyline (ML)
I like the script from the PENGUINS’ (-167) Game 2 victory to remain consistent for the rest of this series following their shocking loss in the opener to the Canadiens (+140).
Penguins C Sidney Crosby opened the scoring sooner than five minutes into Game 2. W Jason Zucker doubled the lead with just over five minutes remaining in the third before Canadiens W Jesperi Kotkaniemi made it 2-1. LW Jake Guentzel then potted a late empty-netter for the Penguins to seal it.
Back the PENGUINS (-167) to take their first lead of the best-of-five series.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Penguins to win in regulation or overtime would return a profit of $6.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
Take PITTSBURGH -1 (+100) at even-money on the puck line. It might not come without a late sweat, but the Penguins should win by 2 goals again in Game 3. They’ve dominated both the true shot count and shot attempts through two games, and are a much better-rounded team up front.
Over/Under (O/U)
The UNDER 5.5 (-143) remains the simple play with both goaltenders in top form out of the long midseason break. Two straight Unders to open this series should have dropped this line to an even 5 goals. Take the value and safety with the half-goal hook for as long as it lasts.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 8-8
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