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

By Kevin Thompson, NHL Analyst | Published: 1 hour ago | 6 min read

Montreal Canadiens

Ice Hockey NHL KeyBank Center Mon 18 May 19:30

Buffalo Sabres

Prediction
SGP Picks
Correct Score
Odds
Team Stats
Player Stats
Player Props
Team News
Lineups
Injuries
Roster
Standings

NHL Betting Preview: Canadiens vs Sabres

The Montreal Canadiens go up against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center, with face-off scheduled for 19:30 on Monday, May 18.

Canadiens Look a Great Bet to Land Victory

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.

8-3 Victory for Sabres in Pair’s Last Battle

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 (Expected)

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

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Expected)

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 – Last 10 Games

5 wins, 4 losses and 1 overtime loss, averaging 3.1 goals from 25.2 shots on goal, with a 14.0% powerplay efficiency. The Habs have given up 2.8 goals from 28.9 shots, averaging 6.1 penalties with a penalty-killing efficiency of 82.0%.

Lane Hutson is the top points scorer with 10 points which were all assists, with Nick Suzuki recording 9 points, 4 goals and 5 assists, in the past 10 games. Goalie Jakub Dobes have a 2.64 goal against average with a .909 save percentage.

Buffalo Sabres – Last 10 Games

The Sabres have 6 wins, 3 losses and 1 overtime loss, averaging 3.5 goals from 28.4 shots on goal, with a 16.1% powerplay efficiency. They have conceded 2.9 goals from 27.5 shots, averaging 5.4 penalties per game with a penalty-killing efficiency of 87.0%.

Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson have scored the most points on 12, with each player managing 3 goals and 9 assists. Goalie Alex Lyon have a 2.67 GAA with a .901 SV%.

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.

Looking for Bigger Odds?

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

BetMGM Promo Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Get Bonus T&C apply. Gamble responsibly 18+

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.

Published 23:56, 17 May 2026

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.

Latest Rasmus Dahlin Player Prop Odds

Goals

Assists

Shots on Goal

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.

Same Game Parlay Picks

Moneyline Canadiens

To Score Nick Suzuki

Shots on Goal Rasmus Dahlin Over 2.5

Take a same game parlay that incorporates the Canadiens on the moneyline accompanied by Nick Suzuki (Canadiens) to score and Rasmus Dahlin (Sabres) to register Over 2.5 shots.

A same game parlay is a single event wager where you make predictions that are going to happen in a particular hockey game. Should a bettor get these selections correct, then they can achieve a good return from a small stake.

Bet Boosts

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 logo

Sabres

Let’s take a chance on the +1600 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

1-0

2-0

2-1

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.

Books Expecting Tight Affair

You can choose Buffalo Sabres at -114 or alternatively Montreal Canadiens who have betting odds of -105. 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 +104.

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

3-Way Moneyline

Puck Line

Total Goals

Tage Thompson Favorite to Find the Net First

Tage Thompson can be backed to find the net at anytime at +175. There is the chance to back the market leader to score the first goal at +1000.

Player Goals

Tage Thompson (Sabres)

Cole Caufield (Canadiens)

Juraj Slafkovsky (Canadiens)

Nick Suzuki (Canadiens)

View More View Less

Player Assists

Lane Hutson (Canadiens)

Nick Suzuki (Canadiens)

Rasmus Dahlin (Sabres)

Tage Thompson (Sabres)

View More View Less

Player Shots

Tage Thompson (Sabres)

Juraj Slafkovsky (Canadiens)

Nick Suzuki (Canadiens)

Alex Tuch (Sabres)

View More View Less

Micro Betting

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.

Live market odds and lines updated regularly. All odds subject to change. T&Cs apply. 18+ (or legal age) | Gamble Responsibly.

Best Betting Offers

Last 5 & H2H

All
Home
Away

Last 5 Games

Canadiens

NHL Playoffs: 17/05 Sabres8 Canadiens 3
NHL Playoffs: 15/05 Canadiens6 Sabres 3
NHL Playoffs: 13/05 Sabres3 Canadiens 2
NHL Playoffs: 11/05 Sabres2 Canadiens 6
NHL Playoffs: 09/05 Canadiens5 Sabres 1

Sabres

NHL Playoffs: 17/05 Sabres8 Canadiens 3
NHL Playoffs: 15/05 Canadiens6 Sabres 3
NHL Playoffs: 13/05 Sabres3 Canadiens 2
NHL Playoffs: 11/05 Sabres2 Canadiens 6
NHL Playoffs: 09/05 Canadiens5 Sabres 1

Head to Head

Montreal vs Buffalo

NHL: 17/05 2026 Sabres 8 Canadiens 3
NHL: 15/05 2026 Canadiens 6 Sabres 3
NHL: 13/05 2026 Sabres 3 Canadiens 2
NHL: 11/05 2026 Sabres 2 Canadiens 6
NHL: 09/05 2026 Canadiens 5 Sabres 1
NHL: 07/05 2026 Canadiens 2 Sabres 4
NHL: 01/02 2026 Canadiens 4 Sabres 2
NHL: 23/01 2026 Sabres 4 Canadiens 2
NHL: 16/01 2026 Canadiens 3 Sabres 5
NHL: 21/10 2025 Sabres 2 Canadiens 4

Team Stats

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

Team News

Montreal Canadiens Player Stats & Roster

#	Player	GP	MIN	G	A	P	+/-
48	Lane Hutson	13	25.61	2	11	13	3
14	Nick Suzuki	13	21.97	4	8	12	-5
20	Juraj Slafkovsky	13	20.24	4	5	9	-8

13	Cole Caufield	13	18.29	4	5	9	-7
15	Alex Newhook	13	16.29	6	2	8	4
71	Jake Evans	13	15.74	2	6	8	8
93	Ivan Demidov	13	16.46	2	5	7	1
76	Zachary Bolduc	13	11.39	2	4	6	3
85	Alexandre Texier	13	12.82	3	3	6	6
17	Josh Anderson	13	15.47	3	2	5	6
24	Phillip Danault	13	15.9	0	5	5	5
21	Kaiden Guhle	13	20.89	0	5	5	1
77	Kirby Dach	13	10.83	4	1	5	4
45	Alexandre Carrier	13	21.71	1	3	4	1
8	Mike Matheson	13	24.98	1	2	3	0
72	Arber Xhekaj	12	8.61	1	1	2	4
53	Noah Dobson	7	20.96	0	1	1	0
90	Joe Veleno	6	9.67	0	1	1	-1
11	Brendan Gallagher	3	6.43	1	0	1	1
47	Jayden Struble	7	10.77	0	0	0	3
91	Oliver Kapanen	4	8.65	0	0	0	0

#	Goalies	GP	GAA	SV%
32	Jacob Fowler	1	7.16	0.5
75	Jakub Dobes	13	2.59	0.906

Buffalo Sabres Player Stats & Roster

#	Player	GP	MIN	G	A	P	+/-
72	Tage Thompson	12	19.81	5	10	15	1
26	Rasmus Dahlin	12	23.2	3	10	13	4
91	Josh Doan	12	16.13	3	7	10	5

9	Zach Benson	12	16.53	5	4	9	7
22	Jack Quinn	12	16.21	2	5	7	-1
89	Alex Tuch	12	20.48	4	3	7	-1
4	Bowen Byram	12	21.9	4	3	7	2
23	Mattias Samuelsson	12	21.84	3	3	6	3
19	Peyton Krebs	12	14.87	2	4	6	2
25	Owen Power	12	20.87	0	5	5	4
17	Jason Zucker	12	14.37	2	2	4	-3
71	Ryan McLeod	12	16.7	1	3	4	-8
13	Josh Norris	9	16.34	1	2	3	3
12	Jordan Greenway	12	11.23	1	1	2	-2
29	Beck Malenstyn	12	10.48	1	1	2	-1
21	Conor Timmins	12	16.64	0	2	2	0
86	Noah Oestlund	3	11.5	1	1	2	3
94	Konsta Helenius	3	12.43	2	0	2	2
48	Tyson Kozak	6	11.42	0	1	1	2
73	Zach Metsa	1	12.3	1	0	1	-1
64	Logan Stanley	8	13.06	0	0	0	-2
5	Luke Schenn	2	7.55	0	0	0	-1
44	Josh Dunne	2	7.9	0	0	0	1
	Sam Carrick	1	6.3	0	0	0	0
8	Michael Kesselring	1	4.4	0	0	0	0

#	Goalies	GP	GAA	SV%
1	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	5	3.36	0.875
34	Alex Lyon	10	2.59	0.904

Injuries & Suspensions

Montreal Canadiens Injury Table

Type

Name

Info

Patrik Laine

Injured

Buffalo Sabres Injury Table

Type

Name

Info

Justin Danforth

Injured

Noah Oestlund

Injured

Jiri Kulich

Unavailable

Starting Lineups

Both teams’ confirmed lineups will be published ahead of face-off. There is also the chance to look at the lineups from the previous 10 games.

Previous Montreal Canadiens Lineups

16 May NHL Playoffs

Sabres 8-3 Canadiens

Confirmed Lineups

14 May NHL Playoffs

Canadiens 6-3 Sabres

Confirmed Lineups

12 May NHL Playoffs

Sabres 3-2 Canadiens

Confirmed Lineups

10 May NHL Playoffs

Sabres 2-6 Canadiens

Confirmed Lineups

08 May NHL Playoffs

Canadiens 5-1 Sabres

Confirmed Lineups

06 May NHL Playoffs

Canadiens 2-4 Sabres

Confirmed Lineups

03 May NHL Playoffs

Canadiens 2-1 Lightning

Confirmed Lineups

01 May NHL Playoffs

Lightning 1-0 Canadiens

Confirmed Lineups

29 Apr NHL Playoffs

Canadiens 3-2 Lightning

Confirmed Lineups

26 Apr NHL Playoffs

Lightning 3-2 Canadiens

Confirmed Lineups

Previous Buffalo Sabres Lineups

16 May NHL Playoffs

Sabres 8-3 Canadiens

Confirmed Lineups

14 May NHL Playoffs

Canadiens 6-3 Sabres

Confirmed Lineups

12 May NHL Playoffs

Sabres 3-2 Canadiens

Confirmed Lineups

10 May NHL Playoffs

Sabres 2-6 Canadiens

Confirmed Lineups

08 May NHL Playoffs

Canadiens 5-1 Sabres

Confirmed Lineups

06 May NHL Playoffs

Canadiens 2-4 Sabres

Confirmed Lineups

01 May NHL Playoffs

Sabres 4-1 Bruins

Confirmed Lineups

28 Apr NHL Playoffs

Bruins 2-1 Sabres

Confirmed Lineups

26 Apr NHL Playoffs

Sabres 6-1 Bruins

Confirmed Lineups

23 Apr NHL Playoffs

Sabres 3-1 Bruins

Confirmed Lineups

NHL Standings Select Season

Metropolitan	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	P%	RW	ROW	GF	GA	DIFF	Home	Road	S/O	L10	Strk
1 Carolina	82	53	22	7	113	0.689	39	48	296	240	56	29-10-2	24-12-5	5-4	7-3	1W
2 Pittsburgh	82	41	25	16	98	0.598	34	38	293	268	25	20-13-8	21-12-8	3-10	5-5	3L
3 Philadelphia	82	43	27	12	98	0.598	27	33	250	243	7	20-13-8	23-14-4	10-4	7-3	3W
4 Washington	82	43	30	9	95	0.579	37	41	263	244	19	25-11-5	18-19-4	2-6	8-2	4W
5 Columbus	82	40	30	12	92	0.561	28	33	253	253	0	20-13-8	20-17-4	7-2	2-8	2L
6 NY Islanders	82	43	34	5	91	0.555	29	39	233	241	-8	22-17-2	21-17-3	4-5	3-7	3L
7 New Jersey	82	42	37	3	87	0.53	29	38	230	254	-24	21-17-3	21-20-0	4-1	5-5	1L
8 NY Rangers	82	34	39	9	77	0.47	25	31	238	250	-12	14-20-7	20-19-2	3-1	6-4	1W

East Atlantic	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	P%	RW	ROW	GF	GA	DIFF	Home	Road	S/O	L10	Strk
1 Buffalo	82	50	23	9	109	0.665	42	45	288	241	47	26-10-5	24-13-4	5-1	6-4	1L
2 Tampa Bay	82	50	26	6	106	0.646	40	46	290	231	59	26-14-1	24-12-5	4-2	5-5	1L
3 Montreal	82	48	24	10	106	0.646	34	44	283	256	27	24-15-2	24-9-8	4-5	7-3	1L
4 Boston	82	45	27	10	100	0.61	33	41	272	250	22	29-11-1	16-16-9	4-3	5-5	2W
5 Ottawa	82	44	27	11	99	0.604	38	41	278	246	32	23-12-6	21-15-5	3-1	6-4	1W
6 Detroit	82	41	31	10	92	0.561	30	39	241	258	-17	21-16-4	20-15-6	2-4	2-8	3L
7 Florida	82	40	38	4	84	0.512	32	35	251	276	-25	23-15-3	17-23-1	5-2	5-5	3W
8 Toronto	82	32	36	14	78	0.476	23	31	253	299	-46	18-15-8	14-21-6	1-4	2-8	7L

East Central	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	P%	RW	ROW	GF	GA	DIFF	Home	Road	S/O	L10	Strk
1 Colorado	81	54	16	11	119	0.735	47	50	300	203	97	25-9-6	29-7-5	4-6	6-4	2W
2 Dallas	82	50	20	12	112	0.683	38	44	279	226	53	26-11-4	24-9-8	6-4	7-3	5W
3 Minnesota	82	46	24	12	104	0.634	31	42	272	240	32	23-10-8	23-14-4	4-5	6-4	1W
4 Utah	82	43	33	6	92	0.561	33	43	268	240	28	22-16-3	21-17-3	0-0	6-4	1L
5 St Louis	82	37	33	12	86	0.524	33	36	231	258	-27	20-14-7	17-19-5	1-4	6-4	4W
6 Nashville	82	38	34	10	86	0.524	28	33	247	269	-22	21-17-3	17-17-7	5-2	4-6	2L
7 Winnipeg	82	35	35	12	82	0.5	28	33	231	260	-29	19-16-6	16-19-6	2-4	5-5	4L
8 Chicago	82	29	39	14	72	0.439	22	26	213	275	-62	14-19-8	15-20-6	3-5	2-8	1W

West Pacific	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	P%	RW	ROW	GF	GA	DIFF	Home	Road	S/O	L10	Strk
1 Vegas	82	39	26	17	95	0.579	30	38	265	250	15	20-12-9	19-14-8	1-8	7-3	3W
2 Edmonton	82	41	30	11	93	0.567	32	41	282	269	13	22-14-5	19-16-6	0-4	6-4	1W
3 Anaheim	82	43	33	6	92	0.561	26	35	273	288	-15	24-13-4	19-20-2	8-0	2-8	1W
4 LA Kings	82	35	27	20	90	0.549	22	30	225	247	-22	15-17-9	20-10-11	5-9	6-4	2L
5 San Jose	82	39	35	8	86	0.524	27	37	251	292	-41	21-14-6	18-21-2	2-2	5-5	1W
6 Seattle	81	34	36	11	79	0.488	26	32	226	261	-35	19-17-5	15-19-6	2-6	2-8	2L
7 Calgary	82	34	39	9	77	0.47	27	30	212	259	-47	23-13-5	11-26-4	4-3	4-6	1W
8 Vancouver	82	25	49	8	58	0.354	15	19	216	316	-100	9-27-5	16-22-3	6-2	4-6	1L

Eastern	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	P%	RW	ROW	GF	GA	DIFF	Home	Road	S/O	L10	Strk
1 Carolina	82	53	22	7	113	0.689	39	48	296	240	56	29-10-2	24-12-5	5-4	7-3	1W
2 Buffalo	82	50	23	9	109	0.665	42	45	288	241	47	26-10-5	24-13-4	5-1	6-4	1L
3 Tampa Bay	82	50	26	6	106	0.646	40	46	290	231	59	26-14-1	24-12-5	4-2	5-5	1L
4 Montreal	82	48	24	10	106	0.646	34	44	283	256	27	24-15-2	24-9-8	4-5	7-3	1L
5 Boston	82	45	27	10	100	0.61	33	41	272	250	22	29-11-1	16-16-9	4-3	5-5	2W
6 Ottawa	82	44	27	11	99	0.604	38	41	278	246	32	23-12-6	21-15-5	3-1	6-4	1W
7 Pittsburgh	82	41	25	16	98	0.598	34	38	293	268	25	20-13-8	21-12-8	3-10	5-5	3L
8 Philadelphia	82	43	27	12	98	0.598	27	33	250	243	7	20-13-8	23-14-4	10-4	7-3	3W
9 Washington	82	43	30	9	95	0.579	37	41	263	244	19	25-11-5	18-19-4	2-6	8-2	4W
10 Detroit	82	41	31	10	92	0.561	30	39	241	258	-17	21-16-4	20-15-6	2-4	2-8	3L
11 Columbus	82	40	30	12	92	0.561	28	33	253	253	0	20-13-8	20-17-4	7-2	2-8	2L
12 NY Islanders	82	43	34	5	91	0.555	29	39	233	241	-8	22-17-2	21-17-3	4-5	3-7	3L
13 New Jersey	82	42	37	3	87	0.53	29	38	230	254	-24	21-17-3	21-20-0	4-1	5-5	1L
14 Florida	82	40	38	4	84	0.512	32	35	251	276	-25	23-15-3	17-23-1	5-2	5-5	3W
15 Toronto	82	32	36	14	78	0.476	23	31	253	299	-46	18-15-8	14-21-6	1-4	2-8	7L
16 NY Rangers	82	34	39	9	77	0.47	25	31	238	250	-12	14-20-7	20-19-2	3-1	6-4	1W

Western	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	P%	RW	ROW	GF	GA	DIFF	Home	Road	S/O	L10	Strk
1 Colorado	81	54	16	11	119	0.735	47	50	300	203	97	25-9-6	29-7-5	4-6	6-4	2W
2 Dallas	82	50	20	12	112	0.683	38	44	279	226	53	26-11-4	24-9-8	6-4	7-3	5W
3 Minnesota	82	46	24	12	104	0.634	31	42	272	240	32	23-10-8	23-14-4	4-5	6-4	1W
4 Vegas	82	39	26	17	95	0.579	30	38	265	250	15	20-12-9	19-14-8	1-8	7-3	3W
5 Edmonton	82	41	30	11	93	0.567	32	41	282	269	13	22-14-5	19-16-6	0-4	6-4	1W
6 Utah	82	43	33	6	92	0.561	33	43	268	240	28	22-16-3	21-17-3	0-0	6-4	1L
7 Anaheim	82	43	33	6	92	0.561	26	35	273	288	-15	24-13-4	19-20-2	8-0	2-8	1W
8 LA Kings	82	35	27	20	90	0.549	22	30	225	247	-22	15-17-9	20-10-11	5-9	6-4	2L
9 St Louis	82	37	33	12	86	0.524	33	36	231	258	-27	20-14-7	17-19-5	1-4	6-4	4W
10 Nashville	82	38	34	10	86	0.524	28	33	247	269	-22	21-17-3	17-17-7	5-2	4-6	2L
11 San Jose	82	39	35	8	86	0.524	27	37	251	292	-41	21-14-6	18-21-2	2-2	5-5	1W
12 Winnipeg	82	35	35	12	82	0.5	28	33	231	260	-29	19-16-6	16-19-6	2-4	5-5	4L
13 Seattle	81	34	36	11	79	0.488	26	32	226	261	-35	19-17-5	15-19-6	2-6	2-8	2L
14 Calgary	82	34	39	9	77	0.47	27	30	212	259	-47	23-13-5	11-26-4	4-3	4-6	1W
15 Chicago	82	29	39	14	72	0.439	22	26	213	275	-62	14-19-8	15-20-6	3-5	2-8	1W
16 Vancouver	82	25	49	8	58	0.354	15	19	216	316	-100	9-27-5	16-22-3	6-2	4-6	1L

	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	P%	RW	ROW	GF	GA	DIFF	Home	Road	S/O	L10	Strk
1 Colorado	81	54	16	11	119	0.735	47	50	300	203	97	25-9-6	29-7-5	4-6	6-4	2W
2 Carolina	82	53	22	7	113	0.689	39	48	296	240	56	29-10-2	24-12-5	5-4	7-3	1W
3 Dallas	82	50	20	12	112	0.683	38	44	279	226	53	26-11-4	24-9-8	6-4	7-3	5W
4 Buffalo	82	50	23	9	109	0.665	42	45	288	241	47	26-10-5	24-13-4	5-1	6-4	1L
5 Tampa Bay	82	50	26	6	106	0.646	40	46	290	231	59	26-14-1	24-12-5	4-2	5-5	1L
6 Montreal	82	48	24	10	106	0.646	34	44	283	256	27	24-15-2	24-9-8	4-5	7-3	1L
7 Minnesota	82	46	24	12	104	0.634	31	42	272	240	32	23-10-8	23-14-4	4-5	6-4	1W
8 Boston	82	45	27	10	100	0.61	33	41	272	250	22	29-11-1	16-16-9	4-3	5-5	2W
9 Ottawa	82	44	27	11	99	0.604	38	41	278	246	32	23-12-6	21-15-5	3-1	6-4	1W
10 Pittsburgh	82	41	25	16	98	0.598	34	38	293	268	25	20-13-8	21-12-8	3-10	5-5	3L
11 Philadelphia	82	43	27	12	98	0.598	27	33	250	243	7	20-13-8	23-14-4	10-4	7-3	3W
12 Washington	82	43	30	9	95	0.579	37	41	263	244	19	25-11-5	18-19-4	2-6	8-2	4W
13 Vegas	82	39	26	17	95	0.579	30	38	265	250	15	20-12-9	19-14-8	1-8	7-3	3W
14 Edmonton	82	41	30	11	93	0.567	32	41	282	269	13	22-14-5	19-16-6	0-4	6-4	1W
15 Utah	82	43	33	6	92	0.561	33	43	268	240	28	22-16-3	21-17-3	0-0	6-4	1L
16 Detroit	82	41	31	10	92	0.561	30	39	241	258	-17	21-16-4	20-15-6	2-4	2-8	3L
17 Columbus	82	40	30	12	92	0.561	28	33	253	253	0	20-13-8	20-17-4	7-2	2-8	2L
18 Anaheim	82	43	33	6	92	0.561	26	35	273	288	-15	24-13-4	19-20-2	8-0	2-8	1W
19 NY Islanders	82	43	34	5	91	0.555	29	39	233	241	-8	22-17-2	21-17-3	4-5	3-7	3L
20 LA Kings	82	35	27	20	90	0.549	22	30	225	247	-22	15-17-9	20-10-11	5-9	6-4	2L
21 New Jersey	82	42	37	3	87	0.53	29	38	230	254	-24	21-17-3	21-20-0	4-1	5-5	1L
22 St Louis	82	37	33	12	86	0.524	33	36	231	258	-27	20-14-7	17-19-5	1-4	6-4	4W
23 Nashville	82	38	34	10	86	0.524	28	33	247	269	-22	21-17-3	17-17-7	5-2	4-6	2L
24 San Jose	82	39	35	8	86	0.524	27	37	251	292	-41	21-14-6	18-21-2	2-2	5-5	1W
25 Florida	82	40	38	4	84	0.512	32	35	251	276	-25	23-15-3	17-23-1	5-2	5-5	3W
26 Winnipeg	82	35	35	12	82	0.5	28	33	231	260	-29	19-16-6	16-19-6	2-4	5-5	4L
27 Seattle	81	34	36	11	79	0.488	26	32	226	261	-35	19-17-5	15-19-6	2-6	2-8	2L
28 Toronto	82	32	36	14	78	0.476	23	31	253	299	-46	18-15-8	14-21-6	1-4	2-8	7L
29 Calgary	82	34	39	9	77	0.47	27	30	212	259	-47	23-13-5	11-26-4	4-3	4-6	1W
30 NY Rangers	82	34	39	9	77	0.47	25	31	238	250	-12	14-20-7	20-19-2	3-1	6-4	1W
31 Chicago	82	29	39	14	72	0.439	22	26	213	275	-62	14-19-8	15-20-6	3-5	2-8	1W
32 Vancouver	82	25	49	8	58	0.354	15	19	216	316	-100	9-27-5	16-22-3	6-2	4-6	1L

Expert Analysis by Kevin Thompson

NHL Analyst

About the Analyst

Our ice hockey previews are produced by a specialised team of analysts, former odds compilers and sports journalists. Picks are research-driven and reviewed for accuracy and editorial consistency under the oversight of our hockey panel and Editor-in-Chief.

View Profile & Track Record

NHL Predictions Methodology

Our NHL analysis combines the latest team news, injury reports and line changes with recent form and market movement. We factor in situational analysis like home ice advantage and schedule spots. Metrics such as Corsi, Fenwick, Expected Goals (xG) and PDO are used to evaluate puck possession, shot quality, goaltending performance and special teams efficiency beyond the traditional box score.

Full Methodology & Data Sources

Where to Bet

Betting sites, prediction market platforms and social betting sites referenced have been independently reviewed under our published review methodology, which evaluates betting lines, odds and market depth, event contracts and pricing, licensing and security, payment processes, withdrawal reliability, responsible gambling tools and additional platform criteria relevant to user experience and regulatory standards.

Read our BetMGM Analyst Review

Transparency & Safety

This preview was last updated on May 17, 23:56 to reflect the latest team news, injury reports, confirmed lines and pairings, starting goaltenders, lineup changes, schedule context, key performance metrics and odds movement.

All analysis is produced by professional analysts and reviewed by our Ice Hockey Editorial Betting Panel for accuracy and consistency.

Historical performance for our game predictions is tracked and updated regularly for transparency.

Important: Betting should be treated as entertainment and involves risk. Past results are not indicative of future performance. Only wager what you can afford to lose.

18+ (or legal age). If gambling is causing harm or distress, support is available. Visit our Gamble Responsibly hub for safer gambling tools, self-exclusion options and local helplines.
Editorial Policy | Disclaimer

Next Predictions

07:35 - Mon 18 May CBA