NHL betting preview (Dec. 5): Predators vs. Canadiens odds
Join Daily Faceoff’s Andy MacNeil as he handicaps Thursday’s matchup between the Nashville Predators and Montreal Canadiens.
Predators vs. Canadiens Odds
- Nashville Predators Moneyline: -135
- Montreal Canadiens Moneyline: +115
- Puck Line: Predators -1.5 (+180), Canadiens +1.5 (-225)
- Game Total: 6 (Over -115, Under -105)
Game odds via Sports Interaction.
Handicapping the Predators (7-19 SU, 12-14 ATS, 8-18 O/U)
Nashville dropped its fifth straight game on Wednesday in Toronto, capping a season that’s now bookended by five-game losing streaks and packed with plenty of losses in between. They’re sitting at -375 to miss the playoffs—implying an 80% chance—which feels generous for a team just two points ahead of the last-place Blackhawks on Dec. 5.
Scoring has been a disaster for the Predators. They managed only two goals on Wednesday, marking the 17th time this season they’ve been held to two or fewer. They haven’t scored more than two goals in five straight games and have done so just four times in their last 18. Nashville is dead last in goals per 60 minutes (2.29) and one of just four teams averaging fewer than 2.00 goals per 60 at five-on-five.
The offense has no star power, with no player on pace for more than 30 goals. Former 40-goal scorers Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault are each tracking to finish under 25 goals. Both players are showing their age. Meanwhile, last season’s top scorer, Filip Forsberg, is on pace for 28—far from his career-high 48 a year ago.
Juuse Saros has been solid, ranking ninth in goals saved above expected (per Evolving Hockey), but he can only do so much. He played on Wednesday, and with backup Scott Wedgewood now traded to Colorado, the Predators are left with Justus Annunen. The 24-year-old posted a .928 save percentage in 14 appearances last season but currently ranks in the bottom 10 in goals saved above expected. He hasn’t started yet for Nashville and gave up five goals on 16 shots in his last start for Colorado.
Handicapping the Canadiens (9-16 SU, 13-12 ATS, 14-11 O/U)
Montreal fans showed up for Patrik Laine‘s season debut on Tuesday, and he delivered with a power-play goal using his signature shot. The Canadiens rode that momentum to an overtime win against the Islanders, snapping a two-game skid. They’re now a respectable 6-5-2 at home compared to a rough 3-8-1 record on the road.
Offensively, the Canadiens rank 21st in goals per 60 minutes—better than Nashville—and now have Laine in the mix. Even though they’ve underperformed on expected goals, the offense should improve as Laine settles in and players like Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach shake off their slumps. Slafkovsky, who scored 20 goals last season, has just two in 22 games, while Dach has one goal in 25.
There’s some hope for their offense, but defensively, they’ve got issues. Montreal ranks 25th in shot attempts against and 30th in expected goals against, so they’ll need strong goaltending most nights unless the offense really turns a corner.
Samuel Montembeault is their lone bright spot defensively. While he hasn’t matched his numbers from the past two seasons—saving 15.89 goals above expected in 2022-23 and 17.69 in 2023-24—he’s still been solid. He earned a spot on Team Canada for the 4 Nation’s Face-Off in February, and his 2.92 goals saved above expected ranks 17th out of 29 goalies with at least 500 unblocked shot attempts this season (per Evolving Hockey).
Best Bets for Predators vs. Canadiens
- Both Teams To Score 3+ Goals (+185) at Sports Interaction
No team is ever as bad as they look at their worst or as good as they look at their best. That said, the vibes in Nashville’s locker room must be terrible right now. Sharp money is backing Montreal to pull off an upset—and also betting on the game going over the total. The total opened at 5.5 (over -130) but has climbed to 6 goals (over -115) throughout the morning. With Annunen expected to start, this could be a breakout offensive game for both teams, making the +185 odds on both teams scoring three-plus goals appealing.