The San Jose Sharks, led by Brent Burns and Logan Couture, are set to take the ice against Max Domi, Jonathan Drouin, and the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre in a cross-continent tilt. The match gets started at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 2, and you’ll be able to view it live on Sportsnet.
San Jose Sharks vs. Montreal Canadiens Odds
Losing 1.4 units for moneyline gamblers, Montreal is 12-14 straight up (SU) overall in the 2018-19 season. That early-season winning percentage is a welcomed improvement compared to what the team did during last year’s regular season (29-53). Of the team’s 26 games this season, 12 have gone over the total, while an additional 12 have gone under and just one has pushed. The team’s 7-7 SU at home this season.
The Canadiens have converted on just 15.4 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s ranked 28th overall in the NHL. On the other hand, their penalty kill is rated 19th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 78.6 percent of all penalties.
Boasting a .898 save percentage and 26.8 saves per game, Carey Price (8-11-4) has been the top goalkeeper for the Habs this year. Price did just play yesterday, however, so Montreal may opt to give him a rest and instead turn to Antti Niemi (4-3-3 record, .893 save percentage, 3.61 goals against average).
On the visiting bench, San Jose is 12-15 straight up (SU) and has lost 9.1 units for moneyline bettors thus far. A total of 15 of its contests have gone over the total, while 11 have gone under the total and none have pushed. As a road team, the Sharks are 4-10 SU so far.
The Sharks have converted on 22.7 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked third overall and it’s successfully killed off 85.2 percent of all opponent power plays.
Martin Jones (24.5 saves per game) has been the primary option in goal for San Jose. Jones owns a 9-9-3 record, and has registered a .887 save percentage and 3.12 goals against average this year.
San Jose Sharks vs. Montreal Canadiens Free Picks
Prediction: SU Winner \u2013 Sharks, O/U \u2013 Under
Betting Notes
- The Sharks are 0-2 in games decided by a shootout this season while the Canadiens are 2-0 in shootouts.
- The under has hit in three of Montreal’s last five outings.
- This game features two offenses that put the puck on goal a lot. San Jose has attempted the league’s third-most shots on goal (35.5) and Montreal has attempted the fourth-most (33.5).
- The Canadiens this season have registered the fourth-most hits per game in the NHL (26.7), but the club has averaged 32.6 over their past five games as the home team.
