Faria's prediction: Caufield takes center stage as the driving force of the Habs’ offense in the Motor City.
NHL
The Montreal Canadiens will get right back to work following their season-opening loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, as they’ll head to Little Caesars Arena tonight to take on the Detroit Red Wings.
Although Monreal superstar Cole Caufield didn’t find the back of the net in Montreal’s opener, he was all over the puck.
My Canadiens vs. Red Wings predictions break down why I’m expecting the Habs sharpshooter to pile up some more shots in our NHL picks for Thursday, October 9.
Canadiens vs Red Wings Best bet: Cole Caufield Over 2.5 shots (-135)
Despite outshooting the Leafs 31-27, the Montreal Canadiens ultimately fell 5-2 in Wednesday’s season opener. Luckily for the Habs, they’re back in action with another chance to pick up their first win tonight.
Cole Caufield failed to find his way onto the score sheet against Toronto, but the Habs forward racked up four shots and 20:23 of ice time — the second-highest total among Montreal forwards behind his center, Nick Suzuki (20:42).
Caufield was around the puck and the net all night, recording eight shot attempts, six scoring chances, and four high-danger chances according to Natural Stat Trick.
The Detroit Red Wings were a mediocre defensive team last season, ranking 21st in goals against per game (3.16) and 15th in shots against per game (28.5). I don’t expect much defensive improvement this early in the season, so Caufield should have room to roam.
The Canadiens are on the second half of a back-to-back, but they actually fared pretty well in this scenario last season, going 7-5-3 — the eighth-best points percentage in the league. Montreal also went 3-1-0 against Detroit in 2024-25.
These two clubs have eclipsed 5.5 goals in six of their last seven meetings, including going Over 6.5 in four of those contests. Goals are usually easy to come by in October, and that trend should hold tonight.
The Over is 7-0 in Montreal’s last seven games played in October. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Red Wings.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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After writing a few pieces for the Varsity newspaper during his time at the University of Toronto, Chris Faria’s career in sports truly began in 2019 when he attended the sports journalism program at Centennial College. Since then, he’s covered virtually every sport under the sun, having written for several different outlets including Covers and the Canadian Olympic Committee. A lifelong hockey fan and player, Chris currently works full-time for the National Hockey League.
Outside of hockey, he’s also an avid poker player and mixed martial arts fan, which is coincidentally his favorite sport to bet on – usually in the form of a parlay on bet365. The main lesson he’s learned from years of betting is bankroll management: “Never bet more than you’re comfortable losing and never chase your losses.”
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