Islanders vs. Canadiens NHL Picks: Jump on the Under

The Montreal Canadiens are coming off of a win and host the New York Islanders on Thursday night. These defensive-minded teams are both looking to find a groove this season. See who has the edge in our Islanders versus Canadiens picks.

The Canadiens are fresh off a 3-0 shutout win and are looking to keep that going. Montreal (3-8 straight up, 4-6-1 Over/Under) is hoping to begin its first winning streak of the season.

The Islanders have had four days off, so New York (3-4 SU, 1-5-1 O/U) should be fresh with just one game played in the past nine days.

Here are my picks and predictions for Thursday's NHL matchup between the Islanders and the Canadiens. (Odds via DraftKings; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5 star scale).

Islanders vs. Canadiens Game Info

Date/Time: Thursday, November 4, 7 p.m. ETTV: RDS, TSN2, MSG+Location: Bell Centre, Montreal, QC

Islanders vs. Canadiens Odds Analysis

The Islanders are the road favorites in Montreal at -140 on the moneyline and -1.5 (+170) on the puck line. Montreal is listed as a home underdog at +120 on the moneyline and +1.5 (-200) on the puck line.

The oddsmakers are expecting a low-scoring game with the total set at 5.5 goals (Over +110, Under -130)

Islanders vs. Canadiens Betting Picks

Islanders (-140) ???Under 5.5 (-130) ????

Islanders vs. Canadiens Predictions

Islanders (-140) ???

The Islanders have had plenty of time off to recharge and work on their game. This is just their second game since Oct. 24. They lost to the Nashville Predators 3-2 in a shootout on Oct. 30 despite outshooting Nashville 36-23.

New York is going to want to get back to its winning ways after a handful of days off and has a good opponent to do that against. The Canadiens have struggled this season with just three wins in 11 tries. They've been outscored 34-22 in 11 games thus far.

Expect New York to play a simple defensive game to shut down Montreal. This is a three-star play on a five-star scale after hitting back-to-back five-star winners.

Under 5.5 (-130) ????

This is as close to a five-star play on a total as you're going to get this early in the season. Both of these teams play a more defensive style and don't have much offensive firepower.

The Islanders have just 17 goals in seven games (2.43 per game) while the Canadiens have 22 goals in 11 games (2 per game). Simply put, these teams don't score much.

New York has also allowed 17 goals this season, with Montreal allowing 34 goals in 11 games (3.09 per game).

Barry Trotz is going to have the Islanders playing their systems to frustrate the Canadiens. Expect Montreal to get one or two goals max, with the Islanders only likely putting up three or fewer, just as they've done in six of their seven games this season.

Lock in the Under 5.5 before it drops to five.

Picks made 11/04/2021 at 4:29 a.m. ET