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The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs will meet on Opening Night of the 2026-27 NHL season tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. EDT at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Canadiens are favored at -113 on the moneyline, with the Maple Leafs at -106. The over/under is set at 6.5 (+102o / -124u).
Let's get into our Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs predictions and NHL picks.
Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs Prediction
- Pick: Maple Leafs ML (-106)
Our Montreal vs. Toronto best bet is on Toronto to win, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your NHL bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NHL odds page.
Canadiens vs Maple Leafs Odds
| Canadiens Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +220 | 6.5 102o / -124u | -113 |
| Maple Leafs Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -280 | 6.5 102o / -124u | -106 |
- Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs puck line: Maple Leafs -1.5 (+220), Canadiens +1.5 (-280)
- Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs over/under: 6.5 (+102o / -124u)
- Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs moneyline: Canadiens -113, Maple Leafs -106
- Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs best bet: Maple Leafs ML (-106)
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Canadiens vs Maple Leafs Preview
Montreal Canadiens Preview
The Canadiens are projected to take another leap this season. With a robust collection of young talent that includes Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, and Lane Hutson, this team is a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
The Habs also made a shrewd addition with veteran winger Chris Kreider, who is a power forward who still scored 22 goals last season. Projected to play on the top line with Suzuki and Caufield, Kreider can make an impact.
It's also valuable that they have terrific depth between the pipes with Jakub Dobes, Sam Montembeault, and Jacob Fowler.
You have to like the continuity with this group. Coming off a 48-24-10 season, they're poised to continue to improve.
Toronto Maple Leafs Preview
You can throw out the 2025-26 season for the Maple Leafs. They are nowhere near as bad as they looked. Former head coach Craig Berube clearly lost the room. There's a lot to like with the Leafs heading into the 2026-27 season.
First and foremost, Auston Matthews looks back in top form. He looks a lot faster in preseason so far. Then you add in first overall pick Gavin McKenna, giving them an NHL-ready playmaking winger. The addition of Kirill Marchenko makes them faster, giving them another 30+ goal threat.
Let's not forget about defenseman Darren Raddysh, who gives them a heavy shot from the point that they sorely missed, especially on the power play. In goal, Sergei Bobrovsky has a strong track record and can easily bounce back from a poor performance last year, which can be attributed to an injury-riddled team in front of him.
New head coach Jim Hiller used to be their assistant coach back when Mike Babcock was the bench boss. There's some familiarity there, which will help the team overall. In short, the Leafs feel like the most undervalued team in the NHL right now. I view them as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs Preview
This is an intriguing matchup between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. It's a game of continuity (Canadiens) vs. new additions (Maple Leafs). It's unclear if Marchenko will play in this game, but even if he's out, I'm on Leafs ML.
We're getting a reasonable price on the home team here, with the Leafs at only -118 at the time of this article. This is a statement game where I think they get it done at home.
As mentioned above, Matthews looks a lot faster in preseason, while McKenna can be an immediate star. It's a significantly improved roster that will come out flying, looking to set the tone on a bounce-back season after an abysmal year where they shockingly missed the playoffs.
Remember, the Leafs are only one year removed from taking the eventual Cup champion Panthers to seven games. They had them on the ropes there.
To that end, they're much better than expected. Take the Leafs at the nice price at home.
Best Bet: Maple Leafs ML (-106)
