The Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs open the 2026-27 NHL regular season Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let's analyze NHL odds around the Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
2025-26 season series: Canadiens won 3-1; Toronto won 5-2 at home in the first meeting Oct. 8 last season, while Montreal won 2-1 in a shootout in the second meeting at Scotiabank Arena on Dec. 6.
The Canadiens reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season, falling to the Carolina Hurricanes in 5 games. F Chris Kreider signed with the team on a 1-year deal 3 weeks ago, one of the bigger moves by the club.
The Maple Leafs seemingly made their biggest offseason
move over the summer, signing free-agent G Sergei Bobrovsky, formerly of the Florida Panthers. However, the team just made a blockbuster traded Monday, picking up F Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets, along with G Elvis Merzlikins and LW Miles Wood, for F Matthew Knies and a second-round pick. Marchenko led the Blue Jackets in goals in each of the past 3 seasons.
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Canadiens at Maple Leafs odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:34 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Canadiens -113 (bet $113 to win $100) | Maple Leafs -106 (bet $106 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Canadiens -1.5 (+220) | Maple Leafs +1.5 (-280)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: +102 | U: -124)
Canadiens at Maple Leafs projected goalies
Jakub Dobes (29-10-4, 2.78 GAA, .901 SV% in 2025-26 in regular season) vs. Sergei Bobrovsky (27-23-1, 3.07 GAA, .877 SV%, 4 SO)
Dobes seized the No. 1 job in the regular season, and he made a deep run into the postseason. He was 3-0-0 with a 1.31 GAA and .940 SV% in 3 starts against the Maple Leafs last season.
Bobrovsky makes his team debut, and he lost his only start against the Canadiens as a member of the Panthers. Bob allowed 5 goals on 19 shots in his lone start against Montreal on Jan. 8 at Bell Centre.
Canadiens at Maple Leafs picks and predictions
Prediction
Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 2
Moneyline
The CANADIENS (-113) didn't make a lot of changes, and they didn't have to. This is a team chock full of young stars with good coaching, and they'll likely go quite far again.
The Maple Leafs have struggled to find the proper combination of defense and goaltending in recent seasons. So, they addressed -- the offense. In recent days, Marchenko comes over, and that's a great move, as he is a scoring machine who is expected to pair with C Auston Matthews. However, chemistry might be an issue, as he was just acquired Monday.
Puck line/Against the spread
If you're a little more adventurous, take CANADIENS -1.5 (+220) for the opportunity to double up. Montreal is 2-1 on the puck line in the past 3 trips to Toronto, including an outright win in the most recent visit Dec. 6, 2025.
Over/Under
BET UNDER -6.5 (-124), but roll with a half-unit play at best.
The Under cashed in the final 2 meetings in this series last season, while going 7-3 in the past 10 meetings since March 9, 2024. With Dobes and Bobrovsky, we should see some decent tending.
Best prop bet
Maple Leafs F DARREN RADDYSH - 1+ POINTS (-130) is worth a look in his first game with the team. The former Lightning forward simply needs an assist or a goal in his debut.
Betting odds calculator
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Follow Daniel Dobish on X at @danieledobish. Follow SportsbookWire on X at SportsBookWire and on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs odds, picks and predictions
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