Canadiens vs Penguins: Streaks Collide in Pittsburgh

With Montreal riding a 4-1-1 surge and back-to-back wins over Pittsburgh while the Penguins stagger in on an eight-game losing streak, including consecutive 4-0 shutout defeats, the current form line clearly tilts toward the visitors. Even with the Canadiens missing important pieces such as Patrik Laine, Kaiden Guhle and Alex Newhook — and with Mike Matheson and Jake Evans banged up — Pittsburgh’s situation down the middle and on the blue line looks more concerning given Evgeni Malkin, Blake Lizotte and several depth defenders on injured reserve. Crosby’s career body of work against Montreal (well over a point per game) always looms as a danger, but Suzuki and Cole Caufield have consistently produced against the Penguins, and rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler has already beaten them twice this month while allowing only two goals on heavy shot volumes. Combine Montreal’s sharper 5-on-5 play, recent special-teams edge in this matchup and the psychological weight of Pittsburgh’s prolonged skid at home, and laying a small price with the hotter, deeper side makes sense, so Montreal Canadiens (-115) is the recommended moneyline position, graded a B for a solid mix of win probability and reasonable payout. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 21/12/2025 09:36

The same streak dynamic shapes the total: Montreal’s 4-1-1 run has featured four games of at least four goals scored, but Pittsburgh’s eight straight losses include only two goals in the last three contests and back-to-back 4-0 shutouts, suggesting their attack is in a full-on funk. Injuries are dampening the offensive ceiling on both sides — the Canadiens are still without Laine and Newhook while the Penguins miss Malkin and key support pieces — which limits secondary scoring depth even if the stars are on the ice. Historically, Crosby has carved up Montreal and Suzuki has piled up assists versus Pittsburgh, yet in this specific matchup Fowler’s emergence in goal and the Penguins’ recent inability to finish have kept the last two meetings to 6 and 4 total goals despite decent shot counts. Given that Pittsburgh’s goaltending has been leaking more than four goals against per game during the skid while their offense simultaneously dries up, the likeliest script feels like another Canadiens-driven win that still finishes in a 3-2 or 4-2 band, so Under 6.5 at -115 is the lean and earns a B- grade, reflecting a modest edge but real volatility if a long-overdue Penguins breakout or late empty-net sequence inflates the scoring. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 21/12/2025 09:36

Recent streaks and scorelines make the puckline tempting: Montreal has covered -1.5 in both previous December meetings with Pittsburgh (4-2 on the road and 4-0 at home) during their 4-1-1 stretch, while six of the Penguins’ eight straight losses have come by at least two goals as games slip away late. The injury ledger again points to a wider gap, with the Canadiens absorbing long-term absences like Laine and Guhle through improved depth and structure, whereas Pittsburgh’s attack feels far more disrupted by the loss of Malkin down the middle and their ongoing blue-line issues. Crosby’s long history of torching Montreal and the desperation factor in front of the home crowd absolutely raise the risk of a tighter response, but Suzuki, Caufield and a confident Fowler have already tilted this particular matchup twice by punishing turnovers and pushing the margin in the third period. Because road pucklines are inherently high variance and a low-event, grind-it-out effort from the Penguins could easily produce a one-goal game, Montreal Canadiens -1.5 at 205 is best viewed as a smaller, higher-upside complement to the moneyline, graded a C+ to reflect attractive payout but materially lower likelihood than simply backing Montreal to win. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 21/12/2025 09:36