NHL Monday best bets: Cozens to stay hot vs. Canadiens

We finished last week on a strong note, going 2-1 Friday to give us a fourth consecutive winning night.

We'll look to pick up where we left off with a couple of plays for the lone game on Monday's NHL card.

Let's get right to them.

Cole Caufield over 3.5 shots

Caufield's piled up the shots in the early going of the season. He's attempted 33 shots through four games, which equates to more than eight per contest. That kind of volume will lead to a lot of success in the shot prop market, so it's no surprise Caufield has hit the over in three of four games.

What I love about Caufield is a lot of his volume is coming at five-on-five. He doesn't need an abundance of power-play opportunities to generate shots.

That said, serving as the Canadiens' main man on the power play is definitely a positive - especially against the Sabres.

Buffalo has spent more than six minutes per game killing penalties so far. If it gives Montreal three or four opportunities on the man advantage, that should lead to extra shooting looks for Caufield and lighten the load of what he needs to accomplish at full strength.

Caufield has registered at least five shots on goal in three straight games. He also accomplished that feat in both meetings with the Sabres last season.

Win or lose, expect Caufield to put plenty of pucks toward the net in this one.

Odds: -115 (playable to -130)

Dylan Cozens over 0.5 points

Cozens is heating up in a big way. After a couple of pointless efforts to start the campaign, Cozens has responded by finding the scoresheet at least once in three straight games. The shot volume is also way up, with Cozens attempting 23 shots over those three contests.

The Sabres recently moved Cozens to the top line to ride shotgun with Tage Thompson. The move paid immediate dividends as the pair posted incredible on-ice numbers, combining for 14 scoring chances in their first game together against the Islanders.

Cozens should greatly benefit from playing with a linemate like Thompson, one of the NHL's best point producers who doesn't face top-line competition on home ice. Cozens will get to play with the Sabres' best weapon and avoid the most difficult matchups, meaning he'll be placed in ideal situations to produce offense.

There's always the power play if he fails to get anything done at even strength. Cozens is a focal point for the Sabres on the man advantage, with nobody taking more shots in the situation for the team. And the Canadiens lead the league in penalty kill time per contest.

Cozens has various pathways to pick up a point in this game.

Odds: -120 (playable to -140)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.

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