March 31, 2026, 7:05 a.m. ET<\/p>\n
The Montreal Canadiens<\/a> (42-21-10) and the Tampa Bay Lightning<\/a> (46-21-6) meet Tuesday at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze NHL odds around the Canadiens vs. Lightning and make our expert NHL picks and predictions<\/a>.<\/p>\n Season series: Lightning lead 2-0<\/p>\n After a 6-1 win in the first meeting Dec. 9, Tampa Bay won the most recent matchup 5-4 in a shootout Dec. 28 in Tampa as the Over (6.5) cashed. The Lightning have won 3 straight, with the Over 3-0 in the span, while Tampa Bay is 7-2-0 in the past 9 meetings since Nov. 7, 2023, with the Over going 8-1 in those 9 games. The teams play twice in the next 6 games.<\/p>\n Montreal has 94 points, 4 games behind the first-place Lightning with 98 points. The Buffalo Sabres also have 98 points, but Tampa has a game in hand on Buffalo. The Canadiens are 20-8-8 on the road, while the Lightning are 23-12-1 at home.<\/p>\n The Habs topped the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 Sunday as moderate underdogs (+140) as the Under (6.5) cashed. C Nick Suzuki had 2 goals and 3 points, including a power-play goal. Montreal enters on a 5-game win streak, while going 6-1-0 in the past 7 games. The Under is 3-0 in the previous 3 games, too, allowing just 3 total goals in those outings.<\/p>\n Tampa Bay edged the Nashville Predators 3-2 Sunday as heavy favorites (-175) as the Under (6.5) hit. C Jake Guentzel had a goal with 2 assists. The Lightning have picked up at least 1 point in 8 straight games, going 6-0-2 in the span. The Over is 6-1-1 in those 8 games, too.<\/p>\n Watch the NHL on Fubo!<\/a>Canadiens at Lightning odds<\/p>\n Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub<\/a> for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:58 a.m. ET.<\/p>\n Moneyline (ML): Canadiens +140 (bet $100 to win $140) | Lightning -170 (bet $170 to win $100)Puck line (PL)\/Against the spread (ATS): Canadiens +1.5 (-165) | Lightning -1.5 (+135)Over\/Under (O\/U): 6.5 (O: +100 | U: -120)Canadiens at Lightning projected goalies<\/p>\n Jakub Dobes (25-8-4, 2.78 GAA, .900 SV%) vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy (34-12-4, 2.37 GAA, .909 SV%, 1 SO)<\/p>\n Dobes has won 3 straight starts, allowing just 4 goals in the win streak, while kicking aside 100 total shots. In March, he is 6-3-0 with a 2.34 GAA and .920 SV% in 9 starts. The last time he faced the Lightning on Dec. 9 in Montreal, he allowed 3 goals on just 14 shots in the first period before getting the hook.<\/p>\n Vasilevskiy allowed 2 goals on 28 shots in his most recent start Saturday against the Ottawa Senators. He has posted a 5-0-1 record in the past 6 games, and he has allowed 3 or fewer goals in 7 of the past 8 starts. Vasilevskiy hasn’t faced the Canadiens this season, but he is 16-3-2 with a 2.08 GAA in 21 games vs. them.<\/p>\n Canadiens at Lightning picks and predictionsPrediction<\/p>\n Lightning 3, Canadiens 2<\/p>\n The LIGHTNING (-170) aren’t priced out of line as moderate favorites, as my personal limit is -180 for a singular moneyline play. Venue matters in this potential playoff preview.<\/p>\n While the Canadiens have been impressive on the road, trust the red-hot Lightning, who are 6-0-2 in the past 8 games.<\/p>\n The CANADIENS +1.5 (-165) aren’t a bad play if you want some insurance, and you can’t bring yourself to play Montreal straight up. It wouldn’t be shocking to see this game decided in overtime or a shootout.<\/p>\n UNDER 6.5 (-120) is the lean, but roll with a half-unit play at most.<\/p>\n The Under has cashed in 3 in a row for Montreal, while cashing in 4 straight on the road. The Under is 8-2-1 across the past 11 games, too.<\/p>\n For Tampa Bay, the Under cashed last time out, but the Over is 6-1-1 in the past 8 games, so be careful. The Over is 8-1 in the past 9 meetings in this series, too, but this game should have more of a playoff-like feel with goals at a premium.<\/p>\n For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com<\/a> and BetFTW<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow @danieledobish<\/a> on\u00a0Twitter\/X.\u00a0Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter\/X<\/a> and like us on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n