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Vegas vs. Montreal: NHL Match Prediction
Vegas will play at home on December 31, where they will try to continue their winning streak. The team will meet Montreal, which has gained excellent form and has begun to beat even the obvious favorites. What bets should you make? Our experts will answer this question and many others in the forecast
Command Analysis
Vegas Golden Knights
USACurrent form
Vegas has been in outstanding form, beating all opponents in regulation time for six games in a row. The team completed a three-game home series, starting with a 3-1 win over Vancouver. The Knights showed solid defense, allowing only 20 shots in three periods. They then confidently beat Seattle 6-2, where forward Stone especially stood out, scoring a goal and making two assists. In the last game of the home series, Vegas met Anaheim and allowed their opponent to create dangerous moments near their goal, but thanks to goaltender Hill, they won 3-1. On the road to San Jose, the team showed less reliable defense, but thanks to high offensive performance, they were able to not only tie the score, but also win confidently 6-3.
Cassidy men were able to earn their sixth win in a row at home, where they did not encounter any serious resistance from Calgary, defeating the Flames 3-0. Goalie Samsonov showed a great game, stopping 31 shots and recording a shutout. Thanks to the successful performances, the club has already managed to rise to first place in the Western Conference standings, ahead of Winnipeg.
Disqualifications and injuries
Vegas has no problems with its roster. Only Lehner remains in the infirmary, and Barbashev is still questionable.
Interesting trends for betting
- Vegas averages 3.6 goals per game
The Golden Knights have been very productive in attack throughout the regular season.
- The Knights are averaging 5.6 penalty minutes per game.
The club remains the most disciplined in the league.
Montreal Canadiens
CanadaCurrent form
Few expected Montreal to be in the form that would allow the team to consistently beat both its own level opponents and the clear favorites. Throughout the regular season, the team had huge problems with scoring points, which was primarily due to constant failures in defense, but recently the Canadiens began to compensate for this problem due to very high efficiency in attack, which allowed them to rise from the last line in the Eastern Conference standings. If the club continues to perform in the same spirit, it is quite capable of taking a place in the playoff zone, the gap from which is only five points.
At the moment, the team has two confident victories. In the first match, the Canadians met with Florida and left their opponent no chance, defeating them dry with a score of 4:0. Goalkeeper Dobesh showed a great game, reflecting 34 shots and making his first shutout in his career. Then the team went to visit another clear favorite, Tampa Bay, and this time showed even more productive hockey, which allowed them to win a second confident victory (5:2). It is difficult to even single out any of the players, since almost everyone made a significant contribution to the success of the club.
Disqualifications and injuries
Montreal infirmary remains unchanged. Only Price will not play in the upcoming match.
Interesting trends for betting
- Montreal is allowing an average of 3.5 goals per game.
The Canadians have been experiencing serious problems in defense throughout the season.
- The Canadiens average ten penalty minutes per game.
It is also worth noting the club weak discipline, which often leads to expulsions.
Trends
Bet First Goal: Vegas
Vegas opened the scoring in five of the six head-to-head matches
1.65Goal in each period bet – yes
In five out of six head-to-head matches, the teams scored a goal in each period
1.45Tip and bets
Montreal is currently in the best shape, which allows the team to cope with almost all opponents on its way. Still, it is hard to believe that the Canadians will be able to continue to play in the same spirit for a long time, so betting in their favor is very dangerous. They have already played two away games against very strong opponents and fatigue should clearly affect them, which will be a decisive factor in the upcoming match, since Vegas does not forgive mistakes. The Knights are superior to their competitor in all respects and have shown stable results throughout the regular championship, so we suggest betting in their favor.
Our prediction is Vegas win at 1.81
Bet on total
Also, the upcoming match may well be productive, as both teams have recently shown very successful attacking play and consistently score a large number of goals.
Forecast - total over six goals for 1.78
Bet on the outcome of the first period
Vegas, due to its superiority over its opponent, has every chance to create serious pressure on Montreal from the very start of the match, which will allow the team to earn an advantage at the end of the opening segment.
Prediction: Vegas wins first period at 2.35
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