Blue Jackets vs Canadiens

With Columbus stumbling in at 2-7-1 over its last 10 and fresh off a 5-0 shutout loss in Buffalo, Montreal’s 9-1-0 heater and 47-22-10 overall mark at home are hard to fade, especially after the Canadiens already ground out a 2-1 win over the Jackets at Bell Centre on March 26. Columbus still leans heavily on Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko, but being without Damon Severson, Brendan Smith, Dmitri Voronkov, and Mathieu Olivier strips away key minutes from an already wobbly blue line and bottom six, while Montreal’s injuries to Patrik Laine and Alexandre Carrier are cushioned by a deep core of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Lane Hutson. Historically, Suzuki and Caufield have done damage against Columbus while Marchenko has had his moments versus Montreal, yet in a playoff-race setting where the Canadiens are jockeying for Atlantic seeding and the Jackets are clinging to a wild-card fight with a negative recent goal differential, Montreal’s superior five-on-five play and special-teams edge justify laying the moderate price even if the value isn’t elite. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 11/04/2026 09:36

Totals-wise, the raw season numbers point slightly upward with Columbus around 3.0 goals for and 3.1 against per game and Montreal closer to 3.4 for and just over 3.0 against, but recent context and matchup specifics tilt this toward a lower-scoring script under a flat 6. The most recent meeting finished 2-1, and with Jet Greaves and Jakub Dobes both posting sub-2.7 GAAs behind defensive structures that have tightened as playoff intensity ramps up, it’s reasonable to expect fewer odd-man rushes and more conservative neutral-zone play than back in midseason. Columbus’ offense has sagged badly during its 2-7-1 slide, with multiple nights of two or fewer goals, while Montreal has shown a willingness to lock games down once ahead, especially at home where their young blue line has matured into a puck-possession unit rather than a track-meet catalyst. Factor in both teams’ respectable penalty-kill numbers and the likelihood of coaches shortening benches in a game with clear seeding and wild-card stakes, and the Under 6 at -110 offers slightly better value than paying a premium on the Over in what profiles as another 3-2 type finish. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 11/04/2026 09:36

Despite Montreal’s superior record and recent surge, the matchup history and game state lean toward another one-goal margin, making Columbus +1.5 the safer puckline side even while expecting the Canadiens to take the two points. The last Bell Centre meeting ended 2-1, earlier this season Kirill Marchenko buried a shootout winner against Montreal, and Columbus has played a long run of tight contests where Werenski’s offense from the back end and Greaves’ stability in net keep them hanging around even when they’re outplayed territorially. The Jackets are undeniably banged up with Severson, Smith, Voronkov, and Olivier all sidelined, but their remaining core — Marchenko, Werenski, Adam Fantilli, and Boone Jenner — is still strong enough to trade chances with a Habs lineup missing Laine and Carrier, especially if Montreal leans into a more risk-averse, playoff-style approach once in front. Given the Canadiens’ tendency toward one-goal wins in this stretch and Columbus’ season-long goal differential hovering near level, the price on the road dog catching +1.5 is rich but still preferable to laying a heavy number on Montreal to clear the -1.5 in what projects as a tight-checking, late-season grinder. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 11/04/2026 09:36