October 30 NHL Prediction: Canadiens 8-3 ATS vs Coyotes 9-2 ATS
- The Arizona Coyotes have won six of their last seven games
- The Montreal Canadiens haven’t won or lost more than two in a row all season
- The Coyotes allow just 1.50 goals per game at home (second-best in the NHL)
The Arizona Coyotes are red-hot right now as they’ve won six of their last seven games. On Wednesday, they’ll return home to host the Montreal Canadiens, who are 4-3 in their last seven contests. Both teams have been impressive ATS this season with 8-3 (Montreal) and 9-2 (Phoenix) records. Are the Coyotes a good bet to stay on their streak or will the Canadiens pull the upset?
Montreal Canadiens at Arizona Coyotes Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | +1.5 (-240) | +105 | O 5.5 (-120) |
| Arizona Coyotes | -1.5 (+200) | -125 | U 5.5 (EVEN) |
Odds taken October 29, 2019.
Kuemper Stars as Coyotes Roll
The Coyotes have been one of the early surprises of the 2019-20 NHL season. They’ve picked up 15 points in 11 games and are in third place in the Pacific Division, just two points out of first. One of the main reasons for their turnaround has been the play of goaltender Darcy Kuemper. He’s now emerging as a quality starter.
Kuemper had a .925 save percentage and 2.33 GAA last season, so he was already pretty good. However, he’s kicked it up a notch this season as he’s upped his numbers to .933 and 1.87. He’s allowed more than two goals in a game just once in eight outings. Arizona is currently second in the NHL in goals allowed per game (2.18).
The other big change for this team has been their goal-scoring. Last year, the Coyotes scored just 2.55 per game, which ranked them 28th in the NHL. So far this season, they’re at 3.00, which has bumped them up to 17th. They had just seven goals in their first four games but are averaging 3.7 over their last seven.
Not one player is really lighting it up as it’s more of a balanced effort. No one on the team has more than 11 points but eight players have at least five points. We’ll see if they can keep that up as Montreal visits on Wednesday.
Canadiens Struggle For Consistency
The Canadiens have had a really tough time with consistency early on this season. They are just 5-4-2 on the year and have won or lost more than two in a row at any point. While they’re coming off a win at home over Toronto on Saturday, they lost their two previous games to San Jose and Minnesota.
A big issue has been goaltending as Carey Price has been fairly lousy. He allowed at least three goals in each of his first five starts this year. He’s been better of late – allowing two or less in three of his last four – and he needs to be this team’s best player for them to have a shot at winning.
Domi Returns to Arizona
One of the key storylines to Wednesday’s game will be the return of Max Domi to the team that traded him away. The trade has been relatively successful for the Habs as Domi registered 72 points last season. The Coyotes received Alex Galchenyuk, who had just 41 points last season.
This year, Domi has picked up three goals and seven assists in 11 games and is one of three players that leads the team with 10 points. The Habs will need his offense as the Coyotes are giving up just 1.50 goals per game at home this season.
What’s the Best Bet?
The Coyotes probably win this game but I’m not up for laying juice here as the Canadiens vs Coyotes odds are more of a toss-up than they might look. With Price playing better of late and the Coyotes being a strong defensive team – especially at home – I’ll take the under.
Pick: Under 5.5
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
