Predators vs. Canadiens NHL Betting Odds, Picks: Montreal opens as -185 home favourite
The Nashville Predators continue their current road trip on Thursday night with a matchup against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre.
Nashville lost at the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime on Tuesday night and they will now face a trip to Montreal.
The Canadiens are in the midst of a four-game homestand and they head into this contest after suffering a tough 6-4 loss to the Hurricanes.
Predators vs. Canadiens NHL Betting Odds
Both teams have played three games this season and they boast the same record of 1-1-1.
Playing at home, oddsmakers are giving a substantial edge to the Canadiens, who are -185 on the moneyline. Nashville are +154 to pull off an upset.
On the puckline, Montreal at -1.5 is valued at +142, while Nashville +1.5 is -170. The game total is set at 6.5, with odds of +110 to the Over and -130 to the Under.
At +140, Montreal’s Cole Caufield has the shortest odds of any player to score a goal. He ranked second in the NHL with 51 goals last season and is off to a strong start this term, with two goals in three games.
With odds of +200, Nashville’s Filip Forsberg is the favourite to score a goal for this side. He is coming off the third 40-game season of his career, but has yet to find the back of the net so far in this campaign.
Nashville Predators
The Predators have missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, but saw a dramatic improvement from 68 to 86 points from 2024-25 to 2025-26. Nashville is hoping its veteran core can put it all together and get back to the postseason in 2026-27.
Forsberg led the Predators with 75 points last season, made up of 40 goals and 35 assists. In this campaign, he has three assists without a goal. Steven Stamkos paces Nashville with four points (three goals and an assist).
Juuse Saros continues to be a mainstay between the pipes for the Predators. He ranks second among all NHL goaltenders in games played since 2020-21, and has started all three games this season. He’s 1-1-1 with a 2.95 goals-against average and .907 save percentage in those contests.
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens are coming off back-to-back postseason appearances, and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last season before falling to the Hurricanes. Montreal has reloaded its core players for another run in 2026-27.
Goal-scoring has not been an issue for Montreal early on this season. The Habs have scored 12 goals through three games, but have struggled to keep the puck out of their own net. That has resulted in a 1-1-1 record, and they’ve allowed six goals in each of their last two outings.
Centre Nick Suzuki leads Montreal with six points, while Zack Bolduc paces the Canadiens with three goals.
NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Predators vs. Canadiens?
The Predators enter this matchup coming off a brutal loss to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday. Nashville held a 3-0 lead in the second period, but ultimately collapsed and lost 5-4 in overtime. Things don’t get any easier for them as they face the reigning Eastern Conference champions in this one.
Montreal is a better team than what they’ve shown through three games this season. Their forward group is among the deepest in the NHL, and their defence and goaltending is due to get back on track. Playing at home, look for the Canadiens to find the win column.
Best bet: Montreal Canadiens
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