Posted at 11:00 AM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle -½ +107 BET365 -½ +115 Sportsinteraction -½ +110 888Sport -½ +110

Montreal -½ +115 over Columbus

7:07 PM EST. Regulation only. We’re rarely in favor of spotting pucks with weak teams but there are always exceptions when it comes to sports betting and this is one of those rare times. This is a strong situational play on the Canadiens that we’re not going to miss.

As the NHL hits the stretch run with just 10 or less games left for all 32 teams, motivation or lack thereof is always worth considering this time of year. For Montreal, motivation is never an issue when playing at home because hockey is more than a sport in that region. It matters not if the Habs are in first, last or somewhere in between because the entire city deeply cares about every game. Hockey is a way of life in Montreal, a religion, if you will. Every game matters and every player is acutely aware of the interest. Walk into the Playground Casino in Montreal and every screen will have the Habs game on and nobody cares about anything else. The media and fans will treat this meaningless game like it’s a playoff game because every game matters in Montreal and it is for that reason that we’re not concerned about a lack of motivation for the Habs, as they want to win and they want to win badly.

Montreal has just two wins in their last 10 games but they played (in order) Vegas, Carolina, the Rangers, New Jersey, Colorado, Pittsburgh, Florida, Tampa (twice) and finally Boston. You will not find a team in the NHL with a tougher 10-game stretch that Montreal just played. After playing that group, this one should appear in slow motion for a desperately hungry Habs’ squad.

As for Columbus, well, they played last night at home v the Islanders and won 5-4 in OT. They were chasing the puck for the entire third period, blew a two goal lead and buried the winner on a PP goal. It was an exhilarating win for a team in the role of the spoiler. There is no role of the spoiler here and the Jackets will play this one without their second leading scorer Patrik Laine.

Additionally, Columbus has not played consecutive home games in a month. What that means is that this is the 13th straight game that the Jackets have had to travel to play its next game. They’ve also allowed four goals or more (usually more) in 10 straight games, which means it takes five goals for them to win a hockey game and that’s a big ask for them in this very difficult scheduling spot. After back-to-back exhilarating OT wins against Washington and the Isles, two teams fighting for their playoff lives, the Jackets will go back-to-back here in a meaningless game with the Rangers and Bruins on deck. Montreal could not have handpicked a more ripe-to-get-beat opponent.

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