Free NHL Hockey Prediction: Canadiens vs Lightning NHL Odds
Looking for Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning free hockey plays & NHL Odds? NHL betting sees the Lightning taking on the Canadiens on Friday, July 2nd, 2021 at The Bell Centre in Montreal. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NHL Hockey games all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily NHL hockey predictions like this Lightning Canadiens matchup.
NHL Handicapping Analysis
2021 Stanley Cup Finals Game 3
(24-21-11) (0-2) Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (2-0) (36-17-3)
Date: Friday, July 2nd, 2021
Time: 8:00pm ET
Venue: Bell Centre in Montreal
NHL Hockey Moneyline Odds: Canadiens +115 Lightning -135
NHL Hockey Puck Line Odds: Canadiens +1.5 -240 Lightning -1.5 +200
NHL Betting Total: 5
Friday night will bring us game 3 of the Stanley Cup final. This will be an important game for both teams. Tampa will attempt to put a strangle hold on this series and go up 3-0, while Montreal will be fighting desperately to stay in this series.
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens are headed home to Montreal down 0-2 in this series. Game 2 they were victims of some bad puck luck that resulted in the Habs going down by 2 goals with 5 minutes remaining in the game. Apart from that third period lapse, the Habs played a much better defensive game, but their issue continues to be scoring.
The Habs only have 2 goals so far in the series, and they have come off the sticks of Ben Chiarot, and Nick Suzuki. Montreal’s success will hinge on other key contributors stepping up such as Toffoli, Byron, and Caufield.
Carey Price hasn’t been putting up the numbers he had in the rest of the play-offs, but these two losses do not lie at his feet. The team in front of him has to reduce the number of high danger scoring chances. Up until now Montreal’s game plan has involved pushing shots to the outside, and they need to find away to get back to that in order to neutralize the lightnings forwards.
Home ice advantage will certainly help the Habs defensively, but the key issue is scoring, and I don’t think line matching will make that much of a difference. It will be on the players to find away to pressure Tampa and put the puck in the net.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay continues to make the case that they are the strongest team in the league. Opportunistic scoring is usually Montreal’s signature style, but in game 2 the Bolts jumped on every loose puck and scored twice as a result. Including an incredible buzzer beater goal by Blake Coleman at the end of the second period.
Vasilevskiy continues to be dominant. Only one goal allowed in game 2 and it came on a Montreal power play. The team has been giving him the best chance to stop every shot, and he continues to impress.
Winning game 3 might be more important for Montreal, but if Tampa can secure at least one win before the series moves back to Florida, they will be in very good shape. It’s incredibly difficult to win the Stanley Cup in back to back years, and this incredible Bolts team just might do it.
NHL Betting Trends
- Tampa Bay are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games.
- Tampa Bay are 6-0 SU in their last 6 games against Montreal.
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay’s last 8 games on the road.
- Montreal are 11-4 SU in their last 15 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Montreal’s last 8 games against Tampa Bay.
- Montreal are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games at home.
Free Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning NHL Prediction:
Frankly these odds don’t make any sense to me. They have swung significantly in Montreal’s favour. Playing at home makes a difference for sure- Montreal will have last change meaning they can get the match ups they want, but Montreal’s biggest problem has been offence, not defence. I was prepared to take the long odds on Montreal, but +115 is just not enough for a team that has only scored 2 goals in 2 games. With that in mind, I suggest taking Tampa on the Moneyline since these are most likely the lowest odds we will see for them all series.
4* Free NHL Betting Pick: Tampa Bay Moneyline -135
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