March 26, 2026, 12:08 p.m. ET

The Columbus Blue Jackets (38-22-11) and Montreal Canadiens (39-21-10) tangle Thursday. Puck drop at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, is slated for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze NHL odds around the Blue Jackets vs. Canadiens odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

Season series: Blue Jackets lead 1-0 with a 4-3 shootout win at home Nov. 17

Columbus last played Tuesday at the Philadelphia Flyers. The -134 Blue Jackets got 24 saves on 26 Philly shots and defeated the Flyers 3-2 (Under 5.5). The win marked a bounce-back after being shut out 1-0 at the New York Islanders 2 days prior. Before that setback on Long Island, Columbus had won 4 straight.

Montreal has won back-to-back games and 3 of its last 4. The Canadiens’ most recent game was Tuesday when they rallied from a 2-0 deficit and took down the -125 Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 (Over 6.5).

Watch the NHL on Fubo!Blue Jackets at Canadiens odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:01 p.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Blue Jackets +100 (bet $100 to win $100) | Canadiens -120 (bet $120 to win $100)Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Blue Jackets +1.5 (-250) | Canadiens -1.5 (+198)Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -118 | U: -104)Blue Jackets at Canadiens projected goalies

Jet Greaves (24-13-8, 2.57 GAA, .910 SV%) vs. Jakub Dobes (23-8-4, 2.88 GAA, .896 SV%)

Greaves is 6-1-0 with a .916 SV% across 8 March games. He has allowed just 4 goals over his last 4 road games. For the season, the 24-year-old has clocked a .914 SV% on road ice.

Dobes stopped 41 of 43 shots in the Tuesday triumph over the ‘Canes. The second-year NHL’er owns a sparkling .926 SV% over his last 6 starts.

Blue Jackets at Canadiens picks and predictionsPrediction

Blue Jackets 4, Canadiens 3

The Blue Jackets are 4-1-1 across their last 6 road tilts.

Recent 5-on-5 metrics are bullish on Columbus. They’re a club on a roll (16-2-4 since Jan. 22) and one dominating even-strength play when it comes to scoring chances. Greaves gives Columbus a hot hand between the pipes, and he has been excellent on the road.

Montreal went through a recent 7-game stretch where it coughed up nearly 4 goals per game (March 3-15). Of late, the Habs have been loose when it comes to yielding high-danger looks. The home club does have a 25% power play (third in NHL), but Columbus doesn’t spend much time in the penalty box and has killed off 14 of its last 16 penalties.

Columbus has won 2 straight series meetings, and the BLUE JACKETS (+100) are a slight lean in this contest.

No interest; PASS.

The Over has cashed in 3 straight series meetings.

Both sides sport 5-on-5 shot-quality analytics that would make the defenses a bit vulnerable to some regression. Overall, both penalty-killing units are bottom-third ones. The overall offenses are a pair of first-division producers.

TAKE THE OVER 6.5 (-118).

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