Canadiens 18-12-4 / Penguins 14-10-9
07:00 PM EST
The Line: Betting Odds: Canadiens -134 — Over/Under: 6.5
Montreal Canadiens Preview
The Canadiens have 40 points this season with a 18-12-4 record, and are 17-17 ATS and 22-9 in over/under. They have a 9-9-1 home record and a 9-3-3 road record and are sitting 4th in the Atlantic Division. They are coming off a 4-1 home win over the Blackhawks, and their previous three games were a 1-4 home loss against the Flyers, a 4-1 home win against the Oilers, and a 4-5 road overtime loss against the Rangers.
Offensively, the Canadiens are averaging 3.18 goals per game and are scoring 25.5% of their power play opportunities. Defensively, they are allowing 3.41 goals per game and are killing 77.3% of their opponent’s power plays.
Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens with 39 points and 29 assists, while Cole Caufield leads the team in goals with 17. Jakub Dobes is the starting goalie for the Canadiens, and he has a 12-5-2 record, with 2.91 GAA and .893 SV%. Jacob Fowler is the backup goalie and he has a 1-1-1 record, with 3.32 GAA and .885 SV%.
Pittsburgh Penguins Preview
The Penguins have 37 points this season with a 14-10-9 record, and are 21-12 ATS and 16-12 in over/under. They have a 6-6-5 home record and a 8-4-4 road record and are sitting 5th in the Metropolitan Division. They are coming off a 0-4 road loss to the Senators, and their previous three games were a 4-6 home loss against the Oilers, a 4-5 home overtime loss against the Mammoth, and a 5-6 home overtime loss against the Sharks.
Offensively, the Penguins are averaging 3.12 goals per game and are scoring 30.4% of their power play opportunities. Defensively, they are allowing 3.06 goals per game and are killing 81.2% of their opponent’s power plays.
Sidney Crosby leads the Penguins with 35 points and 19 goals, while Erik Karlsson leads the team in assists with 22. Stuart Skinner is the starting goalie for the Penguins, and he has a 11-9-4 record, with 2.93 GAA and .887 SV%. Arturs Silovs is the backup goalie and he has a 4-5-6 record, with 3.26 GAA and .890 SV%.
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Montreal Canadiens Betting Trends: December 20, 2025
Why the Montreal Canadiens will win
- The Penguins have lost each of their last seven games.
- The home team has won three of the Canadiens’ last four games.
- The Canadiens have covered the puck line in four of their last five games.
- The Penguins have failed to cover the puck line in four of their last five games.
- The Penguins have lost the second period in each of their last six games against Atlantic Division opponents when trailing after the first period.
Why the Pittsburgh Penguins will win
- The Penguins have won seven of their last eight games as underdogs against the Canadiens.
- The Canadiens have lost each of their last four games as favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Canadiens have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last 10 games as favorites following a win.
- The Penguins have covered the puck line in each of their last eight games as underdogs following a road loss.
- The Penguins have won the third period in each of their last six night games against the Canadiens following a road loss.
Total Goals Facts
- Seven of the Penguins’ last eight road games against Atlantic Division opponents have gone OVER the total goals line.
- Each of the last four games between the Penguins and Canadiens at Bell Centre have gone OVER the total goals line.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in each of the Canadiens’ last eight home games against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Penguins’ last nine night games.
Montreal Canadiens Player Prop Facts
- Nick Suzuki has scored a goal in six of the Canadiens’ last seven games as home favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- Cole Caufield has recorded at least one assist in eight of his last 10 appearances with the Canadiens as home favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- Cole Caufield ranks T1st in the league for Game Winning Goals (5) this season.
Pittsburgh Penguins Player Prop Facts
- Bryan Rust has scored a goal in four of the Penguins’ last five games.
- Rickard Rakell has recorded an assist in five of his last six appearances with the Penguins as underdogs.
- Ryan Shea has recorded two hits against the Canadiens this season – equal-most against any opponent.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Montreal Canadiens rank 28th in the league for goals against per game this season (3.41).
- The Montreal Canadiens rank 6th in the league in power play percentage this season (25.53%).
- The Pittsburgh Penguins rank 3rd in the league in power play percentage this season (30.43%).
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have suffered the most losses when leading after Period 2 this season (6).
Penguins vs Canadiens Prediction
In their previous meeting earlier this season, the Canadiens won 4-2 on the road but the Penguins have won their six meetings before that.
In this Penguins vs Canadiens Prediction, the Canadiens are coming as -134 home favorites. The Canadiens have been the better team this season, as they have more points and wins than the Penguins, who have been on a free fall lately, with seven consecutive losses, having conceded 4+ goals in each of their last six games. There is no way I can back this struggling Penguins squad to win on the road, even for plus money, so take the Canadiens on the moneyline at home in this one.