The Winnipeg Jets welcome the Montreal Canadiens to Canada Life Centre tonight for the first meeting between the clubs this season as the hosts look to get back into the win column against a Habs squad that gave up nine goals last time out.
Mark Scheifele has been on a heater through the first half of December, and I’ll be banking on the Winnipeg forward to find the back of the net in my Canadiens vs. Jets predictions and NHL picks for Saturday, December 14.
Jets vs Canadiens prediction
My Jets pick
Mark Scheifele Over 0.5 goals (+180 at Pinnacle)
My Jets analysis
The weather’s been cooling down, but Mark Scheifele has been heating up for the Winnipeg Jets through the first half of December as the center leads his club with four goals and eight points over the last seven games.
Scheifele has found the back of the net in three of his last six outings, including a multi-goal performance vs the Bruins on Tuesday, and I like his chances of staying hot with another tally against the Montreal Canadiens tonight.
The Jets forward has had a stellar start to his campaign with 16 goals in 31 games and is on pace to match his career high of 42 goals, which he hit in 2022-23.
A big part of Scheifele’s success has been his ability to get to the front of the net as he’s generated 45 high-danger chances this season, tied with Nino Niederreiter for the team lead.
Scheifele has recorded 34 of those chances at 5-on-5, which is tied for 12th among all players this season, according to Natural Stat Trick.
That’s translated to a shooting percentage of 22.9% - about six points above his career average.
Jets vs Canadiens odds analysis
The Jets opened as the sizable home favorite at -244, though betting pushed their edge as high as -300 at some books by Friday night, with 77% of bettors taking the hosts on the moneyline at the time of writing.
After going through a four-game losing skid, Winnipeg is now trending in the right direction with a 3-1-1 record over the last five games – a span that includes a dominant 8-1 win against Boston earlier this week.
The hosts should own the advantage at 5-on-5 as they’re controlling 48.65% of expected goals this season, compared to just 42.83% for the Habs, who rank second-last in the NHL. The Jets have also been superior on the power play, where they rank second in the league (30.1%).
Our total opened at 6 goals, with 64% of bettors opting for the Over at the time of writing. However, the Under is 9-3 in Winnipeg’s last 12 games and 4-1 in the last five meetings between the Jets and Habs.
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg’s likely starter, has also surrendered two goals or fewer in six of his last nine games.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Jets vs Canadiens odds
Jets vs Canadiens live odds
Jets vs Canadiens opening odds
- Puck line: Winnipeg -1.5 (+105) | Montreal +1.5 (-125)
- Moneyline: Winnipeg (-250) | Montreal (+205)
- Over/Under: Over 6 (-105) | Under 6 (-115)
Odds courtesy of Pinnacle
Jets vs Canadiens trend
The Winnipeg Jets have covered the 1P Puck Line in 23 of their last 44 games at home (+11.50 Units / 24% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Jets vs. Canadiens.
How to watch Jets vs Canadiens
| Location: | Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg, MB |
| Date: | Saturday, 12-14-2024 |
| Puck drop: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | SNW |
Jets vs Canadiens latest injuries
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