Canadiens vs Canucks, Odds, Picks, and How to Watch

• The Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks square off for the third straight time on Saturday, January 23rd
• Each of the previous two meetings were high-scoring affairs
• Read below for the odds, game preview, and betting pick

The Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens conclude a three-game set with a matchup at Rogers Arena on Saturday, January 23rd (7:00 PM EST).  Montreal is being listed as -150 favorites in a game that will be broadcasted on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada and Sportsnet.

The Canucks are reeling defensively and are dealing with a myriad of injuries, while the Habs have been one of the most impressive teams out of the gate in the North Division.

Will we see another high-scoring affair between the Canucks and Habs on Saturday?

Montreal Canadiens vs Vancouver Canucks Odds

Odds taken Jan. 22 at DraftKings

Canucks’ Defensive Woes

The Canucks are 2-4-0 to begin the season due to some very poor defensive performance. They’ve already allowed a league-worst 28 goals through six games, and their minus-10 goal differential is only better than the lowly Chicago Blackhawks.

Vancouver also wasn’t a good defensive team in 2019-20, but luckily they had elite goaltender Jacob Markstrom to bail them out. That isn’t the case this year, however, as Markstrom is playing for Calgary and the Canucks have Braden Holtby and Thatcher Demko as their new goalie tandem.

"We kept grinding and stepped up our game a little bit."

Jacob Markstrom shares his thoughts on the 5-2 win over the Canucks. pic.twitter.com/j7c5GKNz40

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) January 19, 2021

While Vancouver doesn’t have a strong blueline when fully healthy, those defensive issues really come to the surface when there are injuries. The Canucks are currently without Alex Edler and Travis Hamonic on the blueline, which means youngsters like Brogan Rafferty, Jalen Chatfield, and Olli Juolevi are being thrown into the fire.

Habs Off to Impressive Start

Montreal is currently sitting atop the North Division standings after an impressive start that has seen them go 3-0-2. They lead the entire division with a plus-8 goal differential and have been getting production from a variety of new faces.

Ex-Canuck Tyler Toffoli leads the Habs in scoring with five goals and seven points through five games, while newcomer Josh Anderson has scored three times and rookie Alexander Romanov has looked poised on the blueline. Nick Suzuki is also looking like a star in the making, producing at a point-per-game pace to begin the season.

Another SHORTY!

Tyler Toffoli scores his 5th goal of the season. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/VPk9sKwW5K

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) January 22, 2021

While Montreal has been the best team in the all-Canadian division in the early goings, they’ve still had some defensive troubles. The Habs are giving up an average of three goals per game, and starting goaltender Carey Price has allowed five goals in two of his three starts. The good news is that they have a capable backup in Jake Allen, who can fill in if Price doesn’t bounce back.

Bet The “Over” Trend to Continue

We have a preview of how this game could play out Saturday due to the divisional realignment in place this season. The Canucks and Habs have played each other twice in the last three days, and each of those games featured at least 10 goals scored. These two teams are playing some very high-event hockey filled with penalties and power-play opportunities.

There’s no reason to bet against this trend when you look at Vancouver’s defensive injuries and the fact that the “over” has cashed in four of the Canucks last five games overall. The key injury here is the one to Edler, who logs heavy minutes in all situations for the Canucks. It’s not confirmed he’s out yet, but the latest reports aren’t looking good.

Montreal has scored at least four goals in all but one game this season, while the Canucks are also lighting the lamp with good regularity. Vancouver’s injuries on the blueline and Price’s early-season struggles are reasons to bet the “over” to hit for a third straight game between these two clubs.

Pick: Over 6 (-122)