NHL play on Sunday features two of the top teams in the league taking the ice when the Western Conference’s No. 3 Dallas Stars (25-9-7) host the Eastern Conference’s No. 4 Montreal Canadiens (22-13-6) at 2 p.m. ET at American Airlines Center. The outing airs on ESPN+.
Dallas was handed a 4-3 loss on the road its last time out on Jan. 1 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Montreal’s last game was a road loss, 2-0, against the St. Louis Blues on Jan. 3.
Ahead of watching this matchup, here is what you need to know about Sunday’s action on the ice.
Watch Stars vs. Canadiens on ESPN+!
Dallas Stars vs. Montreal Canadiens odds and betting lines
NHL odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Sunday at 1:51 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
Favorite: Stars (-209)Underdog: Canadiens (+172)Over/under: 6.5Stars vs. Canadiens game info and start timeDate: Sunday, January 4, 2026Time: 2 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPN+Live stream: Watch on ESPN+
Watch Stars vs. Canadiens on ESPN+!
Stars stats and trendsThrough 33 games as the moneyline favorite this season, Dallas has won 19 of those games.In four games with moneyline oddds shorter than -209, the Stars have three wins.The moneyline odds imply that Dallas has a 67.6% chance of winning this game.Dallas’ games this season have gone over 6.5 goals 19 of 41 times.In their last 10 matchups, the Stars are 4-4-2 to earn 60.0% of the possible points.They have put up 34 goals during that stretch.Over on the defensive end, the Stars have allowed 29 goals (2.9 per game) over those 10 matchups.Canadiens stats and trendsThe Canadiens have been the underdog 21 times this season, and upset their opponent in 11, or 52.4%, of those games.Montreal has played with moneyline odds of +172 or longer two times this season, and lost both.The win probability for the Canadiens, implied from the moneyline, is 36.8%.So far this season, 58.5% of Montreal’s games (24/41) have had more goals than Sunday’s over/under of 6.5.In their past 10 matchups, the Canadiens have gone 6-2-2 to earn 70.0% of the possible points.They are scoring at a 3.6 goals-per-game average (36 total) during that time.On the defensive side, the Canadiens have given up 2.3 goals per game (23 total) in those 10 outings.