In this article, we’ll outline our best PWHL Charge vs Victoire prediction for Game 2, as well as the relevant betting notes for both teams.
Game 1 of the Walter Cup Final did not disappoint, as the Victoire forced overtime with just three seconds left to play before winning it thanks to Abby Roque’s second goal of the postseason.
It was a heartbreaking finish for the Charge, who played well as underdogs in the game and also a heartbreaking start for our pre-series prediction on Gwyneth Philips to win MVP at +450, as a 2-1 Charge win would have greatly improved her chances of a second straight Ilana Kross Playoff MVP.
Charge vs Victoire Game 2 Prediction
Ottawa Charge Moneyline +135 (Play to +125)
Charge moneyline
Our belief in backing Philips to win MVP had more to do with the fact that she, by a wide margin, seemed to be the most likely Charge player to win, as opposed to an outright belief the Charge would upset the Victoire in the series. However, after watching the way that Game 1 was contested, a price of +135 to back the Charge evening things up in Game 2, seems quite respectable.
There was a lot to like about the Charge’s performance in Game 1. While it’s fair to say the game could have gone either way, at worst, the Charge played well enough to show that they are very much in this series, despite being fairly heavy underdogs.
In the later stages of the first period and throughout the majority of the second period, the Charge started to generate more controlled zone entries and was able to generate a lot of shot attempts from the inner slot. Though they did ultimately breakdown with just three seconds left to play, they did seemingly do a pretty good job of muting the inevitable push from the Victoire.
Looking at the odds for Game 2, it feels as though the Victoire are getting a lot of credit based on being the far better team out of the two in the regular season, as opposed to anything they truly proved in Game 1.
Charge vs. Victoire Odds
| Charge Moneyline odds | +135 |
| Victoire Moneyline odds | -170 |
| Game Total odds | Over 3.5 -120, Under 3.5 -110 |
| Game Spread odds | Charge +1.5 (-260), Victoire -1.5 (+195) |
| To Win Series | Over 3.5 goals (-120), Under 3.5 (-110) |
Odds courtesy of bet365.
Betting Ottawa Charge
While it’s an extremely painful way to lose, particularly in a series where they are considered to be fighting an uphill battle versus the number-one seed, the Charge may gain a level of confidence out of the way that they were able to go toe-to-toe with the Victoire in Game 1.
The shots were nearly dead even, while the Charge actually had a greater output of chances from truly threatening locations.
The Charge were outshot significantly in all four games versus the Boston Fleet and leaned very heavily upon Philips to get through the series. They generated 10 shots in the first period of Game 1, and did a good job of generating looks from inside the dots.
While the Victoire are considered to have far more of the truly elite players in the series, prior to the heartbreaking game-tying goal, that did not truly look to be the case. Head coach Carla MacLeod’s forward corps did a good job of applying back pressure defensively, and allowing their defensive core to be aggressive at the blue lines.
The Charge were a drastically less dominant side in the regular season, which to some extent made it easy to forget that they knocked off the Victoire with some well-rounded, tight-checking play last postseason, as well as some heroics from Philips. Based on Game 1, it feels as though the Charge will once again be able to make this series into a closely contested dog fight, which is appealing given how little respect oddsmakers seem to be giving them.
Betting Montreal Victoire
The Victoire will likely be well aware of the fact that the process it followed in Game 1 may not be overly conducive to a winning result in the series. While they were weren’t overly bad, it was a fairly lethargic showing for the first 40 minutes given the perceived disparity between the sides, while their push late in the third was highly unconvincing before one centering pass fell just right.
The health of Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey is a question mark ahead of this matchup, and one reason the team’s roster may be currently power-rated slightly higher than it should be.
Poulin has had some clutch moments once again this postseason, but does not seem to have her usual level of jump and ability to drive play in all areas of the ice. You can never rule out her making an impact, but she continues to look a little off after missing most of the final month of the regular season.
Stacey, meanwhile, needed help off the ice after an ugly collision late in Game 1, but was able to return for overtime. If both are hampered by nagging injuries, the talent disparity at the top of the lineups becomes much narrower.
Round 1 of the powerhouse goalie matchup between Philips and Ann-Renée Desbiens went to Desbiens, particularly when you consider that Desbiens did face some full-fledged breakdowns, such as an uncontested breakaway from Brianne Jenner, as well as an incredible save on Fanuza Kadirova after a play through the crease.
You can follow all of Nick’s hockey bets on the Action Network App!
