NHL Picks & Predictions: Lightning vs. Canadiens (Friday)

We’ve got three Game 6 matchups to enjoy on Friday’s NHL playoff slate. All three home teams are underdogs, with moneyline odds ranging between -102 and -105.All three totals are set to 5.5, with plus odds available between Vegas and Utah. The Golden Knights and Buffalo Sabres are -118 road favorites, while the Tampa Bay Lightning are the only road favorite down 3-2 in their series. Here are my top NHL picks and predictions for Lightning vs. Canadiens.

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Friday’s NHL Picks: Lightning vs. Canadiens

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        (Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        The Lightning find themselves on the verge of a first round exit during tonight’s road game at the Bell Centre. Tampa Bay erased a 2-0 deficit on the road in Game 4, while they wound up losing their second home game of this series in Game 5.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Montreal has won seven of its last eight home games as an underdog. The Canadiens have also covered the puck line as an underdog in 30 straight matchups.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Despite trends favoring Montreal, I’m all in on the Lightning. We’re getting a way better moneyline price at -114 odds compared to -170 in Game 5.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Tampa Bay is a veteran group with a ton of talent, including a goaltender, Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is capable of shutting down any offense. Let’s bet on the more desperate side, which is only catching 41 percent of public wagers, and lock in the Lightning moneyline.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Pick: Lightning Moneyline (-114)


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for BettingPros and FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.

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