Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres Prediction, Picks & Odds | 18 May 2026

Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Preview: Canadiens vs Sabres

The Montreal Canadiens (48-24-10, 24-9-8 on the road) take on the Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9, 26-10-5 at home) at KeyBank Center in Game 7 of this second-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series.

The Canadiens should prove too strong for the Sabres. Our best prediction is to back the visitors on the Moneyline where a juicy -105 can be landed.

When Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres clashed on Saturday night, the Sabres managed a 8-3 victory at Bell Centre.

The Sabres had 36 shots on goal. Rasmus Dahlin bagged 5 points, including 1 goal and 4 assists. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen produced a great performance and had 18 saves (1.000). The Habs managed 22 shots on goal, with Ivan Demidov, Jake Evans and Arber Xhekaj scoring one goal each.

Head-to-Head Statistics

Both teams have won five games when it comes to the previous 10 H2H meetings.

Starting Goalies

Jakub Dobes (Confirmed)

Season	W-L-OTL:	GAA:	SV%:	SO:
24/25	29-10-4	2.8	.901	0

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Confirmed)

Season	W-L-OTL:	GAA:	SV%:	SO:
24/25	22-9-3	2.5	.909	1
23/24	27-22-4	2.57	.910	5

Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres Prediction & Picks

Get ready for Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres with all the betting angles covered, from an expert match prediction and correct score advice to player props and a custom bet builder.

Game Prediction

The best wager could be taking Montreal Canadiens to simply secure a victory in this NHL encounter. Our pick can be taken at odds of -105 on the Moneyline which yields a potentially nice return.

Team news and current form always play a key role in shaping our expert hockey picks. We also dig into the latest stats and trends to help deliver the most accurate NHL predictions possible.

Key Canadiens vs Sabres stats:

• Canadiens have won 4 of their last 5 games on the road.
• Canadiens have won 14 of their last 20 games on the road.
• Canadiens have won 2 consecutive games on the road.
• Sabres have lost 4 of their last 5 games at home.
• Sabres have lost their last 2 games at home.

Canadiens Moneyline Probability

According to the top NHL sportsbooks, there’s a 51.3% likelihood of our pick landing a return. However, our analysts research has found that the actual probability is closer to 60%. It is therefore regarded as a value wager.

If you’re confident with your Moneyline pick but want more juice from your wager, then a Bet Builder provides the opportunity to add in other selections for a bigger return.

Our user-friendly bonus guide highlights the newest betting offers, free bets, and sign-up deals in one spot.

Our Game Prediction

Canadiens Moneyline @ -105 Bet Now

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Disclosure: This preview contains affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. T&Cs apply. We only recommend licensed and regulated operators. See our Editorial Policy. Pick odds and lines reflect the price available at the time of publication (May 17, 23:56). Live market odds are updated regularly and may differ. 18+ (or legal age) | Gamble Responsibly.

Player Prop Picks

Top Pick: Rasmus Dahlin Over 2.5 Shots -164

Rasmus Dahlin (Sabres) has fired Over 2.5 shots on goal in 5 straight home games. Out of all the prop bets available, we’re going to take the -164 when it comes to this Shots on Goal wager.

Pick odds and lines correct at publication. Live market odds are updated regularly and may differ. T&Cs apply. 18+ (or legal age) | Gamble Responsibly.

Correct Score Prediction

Canadiens 5 - 2 Sabres

Let’s take a chance on the +1900 available that the Canadiens secure a 5-2 victory. There’s a nice potential return waiting if we’re able to predict the correct score.

Latest Correct Score Odds

Score

Canadiens

Sabres

1-0

Canadiens

+3400

Sabres

+3500

2-0

Canadiens

+3300

Sabres

+3400

2-1

Canadiens

+1150

Sabres

+1150

3-0

Canadiens

+2500

Sabres

+2200

3-1

Canadiens

+1500

Sabres

+1400

3-2

Canadiens

+900

Sabres

+850

4-0

Canadiens

+4500

Sabres

+3500

4-1

Canadiens

+1600

Sabres

+1300

4-2

Canadiens

+1500

Sabres

+1400

4-3

Canadiens

+1150

Sabres

+1050

5-0

Canadiens

+1150

Sabres

+6000

5-1

Canadiens

+3300

Sabres

+2400

5-2

Canadiens

+1900

Sabres

+1500

5-3

Canadiens

+2400

Sabres

+2200

5-4

Canadiens

+2000

Sabres

+1800

6-1

Canadiens

+6600

Sabres

+4500

6-2

Canadiens

+4500

Sabres

+3500

6-3

Canadiens

+4000

Sabres

+3000

6-4

Canadiens

+6600

Sabres

+5500

6-5

Canadiens

+6600

Sabres

+5000

View More

Pick odds and lines correct at publication. Live market odds are updated regularly and may differ. T&Cs apply. 18+ (or legal age) | Gamble Responsibly.

Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres Odds

The odds and lines below are updated regularly and may differ from the prices shown in our picks, which are captured at the time of publication.

You can choose Buffalo Sabres at -115 or alternatively Montreal Canadiens who have betting odds of -104. The sportsbook traders give the road team a 51% probability of success.

The puck line is calculated to be 1.5, while total goals comes in at 5.5. Having a bet on Totals is one of the most popular hockey wagers. If you want to wager Over 5.5, there are odds of -115.

There are hundreds of game lines and team props when it comes to wagering on the National Hockey League and we recommend visiting the top betting sites to find the wager that matches your view on the game.

Moneyline

Canadiens

-104

Sabres

-115

3-Way Moneyline

Canadiens

+175

Tie

+280

Sabres

+133

Puck Line

Canadiens +1.5

-250

Sabres -1.5

+198

Total Goals

Under 5.5

-105

Over 5.5

-115

The gambling sites also allow you to place player prop bets such as Goals, Assists, Points and Blocked Shots. This means you can focus on an individual player’s performance rather than wager on the actual outcome of the game in question.

There are lots of exciting NHL micro betting lines that are created and they are available in-game. Among them are next goalscorer, next team to find the net and whether a goal will be scored within the next 10 minutes.

Latest regular season and playoff games stats.

Montreal Canadiens Stats

Buffalo Sabres Stats

Moneyline

• 5 wins and 5 defeats in the last 10 games
• 7 wins and 3 defeats in the last 10 games on the road

Moneyline

• 6 wins and 4 defeats in the last 10 games
• 5 wins and 5 defeats in the last 10 home games

Puck Line

• +1.5 Betting Line: Have covered the +1.5 puck line in 8 of the last 10 games
• +1.5 Betting Line on the Road: Have covered the +1.5 puck line in 8 of the last 10 games on the road

Puck Line

• -1.5 Betting Line: Have covered the -1.5 puck line in 5 of the last 10 games
• -1.5 Betting Line at Home: Have covered the -1.5 puck line in 3 of the last 10 home games

Total Goals

• Game Totals: An average of 5.90 goals in the previous 10 games
• Game Totals on the Road: An average of 5.90 goals in the previous 10 games on the road
• Over 5.5: Covered in 5 of the previous 10 games
• Over 5.5 on the Road: Covered in 6 of the previous 10 games on the road
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 3.10 goals and allowed 2.80 goals in the last 10 games
• Team Totals on the Road: Have scored an average of 3.40 pts and allowed 2.50 goals in the last 10 games on the road

Total Goals

• Game Totals: An average of 6.40 goals in the previous 10 games
• Game Totals at Home: An average of 6.20 goals in the previous 10 home games
• Over 5.5: Covered in 6 of the previous 10 games
• Over 5.5 at Home: Covered in 8 of the previous 10 home games
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 3.50 goals and allowed 2.90 goals in the last 10 games
• Team Totals at Home: Have scored an average of 3.10 goals and allowed 3.10 goals in the last 10 home games

Team Stats - Avg/Game

Last 10 Games

• Goals Powerplay: 0.8
• Shots: 25.2
• Goals Shorthanded: 0.1
• Penalties: 6.1
• Empty Net Goals: 0.2
• Penalty Minutes: 19
• Blocks: 15.5
• Faceoff Wins : 30.9
• Hits: 32.4
• Giveaways: 12
• Takeaways: 4.5

Last 10 Games on the Road

• Goals Powerplay: 0.9
• Shots: 24.1
• Goals Shorthanded: 0
• Penalties: 4.4
• Empty Net Goals: 0.1
• Penalty Minutes: 10.9
• Blocks: 13
• Faceoff Wins : 30.7
• Hits: 29.8
• Giveaways: 13
• Takeaways: 5.3

Team Stats - Avg/Game

Last 10 Games

• Goals Powerplay: 1
• Shots: 28.4
• Goals Shorthanded: 0
• Penalties: 5.4
• Empty Net Goals: 0.3
• Penalty Minutes: 15.8
• Blocks: 14.3
• Faceoff Wins : 25.3
• Hits: 26.9
• Giveaways: 14.4
• Takeaways: 4.3

Last 10 Home Games

• Goals Powerplay: 0.5
• Shots: 29.1
• Goals Shorthanded: 0.1
• Penalties: 5.3
• Empty Net Goals: 0.4
• Penalty Minutes: 13.6
• Blocks: 16.3
• Faceoff Wins : 25.9
• Hits: 28.8
• Giveaways: 14.3
• Takeaways: 3.5

Injuries & Suspensions

Starting Lineups

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