Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs NHL Odds, Prediction and Picks: Leafs Begin New Era
There are five games on the NHL’s opening night Tuesday and a few good rivalry matchups, but nothing compares to Montreal visiting Toronto. The Maple Leafs are slight -115 favourites despite coming off a hugely disappointing season. The total is 6.5 on the NHL odds.
Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs NHL Betting Odds
What is expected from Montreal and Toronto this NHL season? Remember, there are now 84 regular-season games, up from 82. The Canadiens finished third in the Atlantic Division last season but then made a run all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals – running into the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, who won that series in five.
Oddsmakers are expecting a step back from 106 points last season with a total of 98.5 for 2026-27. The Habs are +500 to win a very deep Atlantic, -180 to return to the playoffs, +1300 to win the East and +2200 for the Stanley Cup. It’s certainly not out of the question with all the talent.
Hard to know what to expect from Toronto after the Leafs faceplanted to 78 points last season and last in the Atlantic to see a nine-season streak of making the playoffs end. To no surprise, coach Craig Berube was not brought back with Jim Hiller taking over behind the bench. Hiller was fired by the Los Angeles Kings on March 1 after three seasons. The Leafs are given a season point total of 95.5 and are -120 for the playoffs.
Montreal won the season series last year for the first time in a while, taking three of four and splitting two at Scotiabank Arena.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal is mostly back intact from last season, and why would the front office make any major changes after that run to the East Finals? Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield (the reigning Lady Byng Trophy winner) and Juraj Slafkovsky form one of the NHL’s top No. 1 lines. Behind them, the Canadiens ranked seventh in offense last year at 3.40 goals per game and had a Top-10 power play at 23.1% per cent. The team also added veteran forward Chris Kreider in free agency. The 35-year-old had 22 goals and 28 assists last year for Anaheim. Blueliner Lane Hutson is a future Norris Trophy winner who finished sixth in the voting last year. Jakub Dobes enters as the clear-cut No. 1 netminder after finishing 29-10-4 with a 2.78 GAA and .901 SV last regular season. Against Toronto in 2025-26, winger Ivan Demidov (4A) led the Habs with four points. He finished second in the Calder Trophy voting for NHL Rookie of the Year.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Not only do the Leafs have a new coach in Jim Hiller, and his hiring wasn’t all that well-regarded by Leafs fans considering he didn’t even finish last season in Los Angeles, but they also have a new GM in John Chayka and new senior executive of hockey operations Mats Sundin, the former great player. The team is only a season removed from winning the Atlantic Division and advancing to Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs. Any club with Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Matthew Knies remains dangerous. The biggest additions in the offseason were veteran goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who not long ago won two Cups with the Florida Panthers, and No. 1 overall draft pick Gavin McKenna. He’s +280 to win the Calder Trophy as NHL’s top rookie. Bobrovsky is expected to start Tuesday. Against Montreal last season, Nylander (3G, 3A) led the Leafs by far with six points. They used three different goaltenders.
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