BEST LINES:  Pinnacle -½ +189 BET 365 -½ +200 SportsInteraction -½ +200 5DIMES -½ +200

Posted at 2:15 PM EST.

7:00 PM EST. The Canadiens are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to the Stanley Cup champion Capitals, but if you watched any of that game, you know that the Habs deserved a much better fate after controlling the play and outshooting their opposition 44-34. Montreal has been quietly playing well as of late and when a team is rolling, they usually can't wait to get back on the ice. The Habs are a top-10 puck possession team (eighth) and they lead the league in high danger scoring chances by a significant margin. That the Canadiens had a two-goal lead against the Caps, but could not hold on should only fuel them here against the slumping Devils.

New Jersey has dropped eight of its last 11, but they are getting a look from the market today because of the pending return of Nico Hischier, who is set to take his center spot on the top line between Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri after missing four games. The Devils were out of the gate hot to start the year, but that was because goaltender Keith Kinkaid was playing well above his head. The return of Cory Schneider has done nothing to help New Jersey either. His presence is more of a hindrance than anything, as the Devils are paying him $6-million a year, while Kinkaid makes quite literally 10% of that. So either Schneider plays and stinks (he's lost 16 straight starts dating back to last season) or he's the most expensive gatekeeper in the league. Schneider will ride the pine this evening, but he'll be getting paid more than most of his teammates to do so. If the Devils can get past the sick sight of Schneider working the door to put together a good game with the hustle and bustle of a holiday weekend on deck then so be it, but the Habs are playing too good to pass up at a price like this and they’ll play a Devils team that gives up way too many high danger scoring chances. In what is virtually a coin-toss game, we’ll take our chances taking back the big price.

Therefore:

OT included - Montreal +129 for 1 unit.

Regulation only - Montreal -½ +200 for 1 unit. 

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