Top Shelf Picks: NHL Best Bets Today (Utah is a Must-Bet vs. Canadiens)

Iain MacMillan | Nov 26, 2024

Utah is only a slight favorite against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The bad luck continued on Monday. All three games were tied in the third period but only one game ended up being a winner. All we can do is march on and try to find the good luck we had early in the NHL season.

There's just two games on Tuesday night so I have a pick locked in on each of them.

• Season-to-date record: 47-47-3 (-2.88 units)

Best NHL Picks Today

• Utah Hockey Club -130 vs. Canadiens
• Canucks +100 vs. Bruins

Utah vs. Canadiens Prediction

Montreal is one of the worst teams in the NHL and have no business being only a small underdog to Utah. If you look at the advanced metrics, Utah ranks third in CORSI% and 12th in 5-on-5 expected goals percentage. The Canadiens come into the game ranking 28th and 29th in those two metrics.

On top of that, the Canadiens will start Sam Montembeault in net tonight, who has an .899 save percentage while Utah will roll with Karel Vejmelka and his .926 save percentage. This bet seems like a no-brainer from top to bottom.

Pick: Utah -130

Canucks vs. Bruins Prediction

The market still refuses to believe the Bruins are as bad as they are this season. They're 24th in CORSI% and 16th in 5-on-5 expected goals percentage and are no longer able to be carried by strong goaltending like they have in years past. Jeremy Swayman has a save percentage of .887 on the year.

As I've done plenty of times this season, I'm going to continue to fade the Bruins until I feel the market correctly adjusts their prices on them.

Pick: Canucks +100

---

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!