Chicago Blackhawks vs Montreal Canadiens

Chicago rides a three-game skid into Montreal, while the Canadiens have been uneven at 4-5-1 over their last 10 but still sit ahead in the standings and at home in a building where they edged the Hawks 3-2 earlier this season. With Connor Bedard sidelined on injured reserve into the new year and depth pieces like Nick Foligno and Artyom Levshunov also on the injury report, Chicago’s lineup looks thinner than Montreal’s, which is dealing mainly with Mike Matheson’s day-to-day status and a temporary conditioning stint for Sam Montembeault. Even with that health gap, the Blackhawks have historically been comfortable in this matchup and in this building, and Teuvo Teravainen’s long track record of production against Montreal gives Chicago at least one proven Habs-killer even without Bedard. Still, the combination of Montreal’s superior overall goal production, a top-tier power play facing one of the league’s most-penalized teams, and home ice tilts this toward the favorite, even if their defensive volatility and mediocre home record keep this from being an elite edge. At -190 there’s solid but not spectacular value backing the Canadiens to win outright, so this recommendation earns a B grade for a reasonably likely result with modest upside. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 18/12/2025 09:26am

Recent form splits this total: Chicago has leaned under in most of its latest outings, while Montreal’s games have been high-scoring more often than not, driven by a dangerous power play and leaky team defense. Bedard’s absence naturally drags down Chicago’s offensive ceiling, but Montreal’s relatively healthy forward group around Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield plus a bottom-tier goals-against profile means opposing attacks rarely need a superstar to reach three goals. Historically, these teams have played some lower-scoring games in Montreal, including that 3-2 Canadiens win earlier this year, yet matchup specifics push back toward offense: Montreal’s man-advantage is one of the league’s best, Chicago takes a lot of penalties, and the Canadiens’ penalty kill has struggled all season. With the Blackhawks still capable of chipping in behind shooters like Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen and Montreal averaging north of three goals per game themselves, six total goals is a reasonable expectation despite Chicago’s recent unders. Because the under-trend for the Hawks and some tight head-to-head results argue for caution, Over 5.5 at -120 gets only a B- grade, reflecting decent but not overwhelming confidence relative to the price. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 18/12/2025 09:26am

The Blackhawks arrive on a three-game losing streak but have been one of the league’s most reliable teams against the number, frequently keeping games within a goal even when they fall short on the scoreboard, including that earlier 3-2 loss to Montreal. Bedard’s injury lowers Chicago’s upset potential, yet it also tends to pull them into more grind-it-out, lower-variance contests where their defense and goaltending can keep things close, especially if Nick Foligno returns to stabilize the forward group and Artyom Levshunov is available on the back end. Montreal, by contrast, scores well but also concedes a lot, and with a defense corps that may be missing or managing Mike Matheson, the Habs’ profile leans toward one-goal home wins rather than routine blowouts, particularly against a structurally improving Chicago blue line featuring Alex Vlasic and Connor Murphy. Chicago’s strong long-term record at Bell Centre and Teravainen’s history of putting up points against the Canadiens both reinforce the expectation that the Hawks can hang around even if Montreal’s deeper roster ultimately finds a way to win. Given Chicago’s excellent puckline record and Montreal’s tendency to win by narrow margins, Blackhawks +1.5 at -165 earns a B+ grade for combining a relatively high likelihood of cashing with acceptable, if not cheap, juice. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 18/12/2025 09:26am