The Detroit Red Wings host the Montreal Canadiens at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night, with oddsmakers backing the visiting Canadiens as -210 favourites despite Detroit's home ice advantage.
Both teams enter this divisional clash looking to bounce back from disappointing losses, as Montreal fell 4-1 to Washington while Detroit dropped a tight 4-3 decision to Toronto.
With Detroit's powerful power play unit ranked second in the NHL last season facing off against Montreal's struggling penalty kill, special teams could prove decisive in what shapes up as a compelling early-season test.
Detroit Red Wings vs. Montreal Canadiens prediction: who will win?
For tonight's Detroit Red Wings vs Montreal Canadiens matchup, our predictive model gives the Canadiens a 60.5% chance of defeating the Red Wings.
Detroit Red Wings: 39.5% win probability
- Haven't played a game yet this season (0 games played vs Montreal's 1)
- Lack of early season rhythm and game conditioning
- Home ice advantage not translating to favourable odds
Montreal Canadiens: 60.5% win probability
- Early offensive output shows promise (2 goals scored in season opener)
- Away underdog value with higher win probability than home favourite
- Eastern Conference competition provides tougher regular preparation
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts.
Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts.
Red Wings vs. Canadiens Odds
These are the best NHL odds we found across major U.S. sportsbooks for this game.
Odds are based on the latest data at publication and are subject to real-time updates.
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Detroit Red Wings vs. Montreal Canadiens preview
The Red Wings return home to Little Caesars Arena looking to bounce back after a narrow 4-3 loss to Toronto, where they managed to capitalize on one of their two power play chances but couldn't quite find the equalizer.
Montreal comes to Detroit fresh off a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Washington, where they struggled mightily on offense with just one goal on 29 shots and failed to convert on two power play opportunities.
Sam Montembeault gets the nod between the pipes for the Canadiens, bringing a career .899 save percentage and 100 quality starts across 206 NHL appearances.
The Red Wings will counter with John Gibson, whose impressive .910 career save percentage and 268 quality starts in 506 games make him a formidable last line of defense.
Detroit's power play was a weapon last season, ranking second in the league with 64 goals on the man advantage, while Montreal struggled defensively by allowing the most power play opportunities in hockey.
With the Canadiens sitting as road favorites at -210 despite their recent offensive struggles, this matchup could hinge on which team can find their scoring touch first in what should be a tightly contested affair.
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