Detroit vs Montreal

With Detroit riding a two-game win streak and Montreal on a three-game heater, recent form slightly tilts toward the home side despite both clubs going 3-2 over their last five. Detroit’s injury report is essentially clean, while Montreal’s depth is dinged with Jake Evans on injured reserve, Josh Anderson listed day-to-day, and earlier-season surgeries to Alex Newhook and Kaiden Guhle still trimming the forward and blue-line mix, yet the Habs’ core remains intact. This season’s first meeting was a 5-1 Montreal win in Detroit, with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield again showing the kind of finishing touch they’ve flashed in multiple lopsided victories over the Wings in recent years, while Dylan Larkin has often needed to carry too much of Detroit’s offense in this matchup. Montreal’s 3.39 goals per game and strong home record, combined with Detroit’s excellent but still road-tested 11-7-3 mark and the Canadiens’ edge in recent head-to-heads, make the Habs slightly more trustworthy in what already feels like a midseason playoff-positioning swing game with the teams tied at 56 points atop a jammed Atlantic. I’m backing Montreal at -138 on the moneyline, graded a B+ for solid win probability but only decent price. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 10/01/2026 09:43

Both teams come in hot, with Montreal’s three straight wins and Detroit’s back-to-back five-goal outings hinting at plenty of offense in this spot. Montreal’s injury situation actually leans slightly toward more scoring, with Evans (a key penalty-kill forward) sidelined and Anderson banged up while Newhook and Guhle remain out, thinning defensive depth and special-teams reliability more than top-end skill; Detroit, by contrast, is essentially at full strength. Suzuki, Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky already combined to torch Detroit in that 5-1 opener, and Larkin, Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond drive a Wings attack averaging just over 3 goals per game, with Detroit’s power play clicking near 25% against a Montreal penalty kill under 80%. Layer that on top of the Canadiens’ 3.39 goals per game and a recent run of high-scoring results on both sides, and a total of 6 looks a touch low even in a divisional game that carries real playoff-seeding weight for two clubs sitting neck-and-neck in the Atlantic. I’m taking Over 6 at -133, graded a B given the strong offensive indicators but some risk of a tighter, playoff-style pace keeping it to exactly six. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 10/01/2026 09:43

Montreal’s three-game win streak and prior 5-1 road win in Detroit make the Canadiens the side to beat, but the texture of Detroit’s season suggests the puckline value lies with the visitors despite their more modest two-game run. With no current injuries listed, the Wings can lean on their full top four of Larkin, Raymond, DeBrincat and Moritz Seider, and they’ve gone an impressive 12-2-2 in one-goal games, a profile that fits a tight divisional matchup on the road; Montreal, meanwhile, has to manage without Evans and likely still lacks the full services of Newhook and Guhle, slightly thinning their ability to pull away at 5-on-5. Even though Suzuki, Caufield and Slafkovsky have historically done damage against Detroit, including that 5-1 opener, the underlying team numbers (similar goals-against, modest shot volume for both, and a Wings power play that can answer back if they fall behind) point toward a game more likely decided by a single goal in what amounts to a de facto four-point swing in the Atlantic standings. I’ll grab Detroit +1.5 at -210 on the puckline, graded a B- because the coverage rate should be high, but the price is steep and you’re paying heavily for that cushion. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 10/01/2026 09:43