Montreal Canadiens vs Nashville Predators Prediction 10/8/26 NHL Picks Today

The Nashville Predators and the Montreal Canadiens meet Thursday in NHL action from the Bell Centre. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Nashville Predators vs. Montreal Canadiens prediction.

Nashville Predators Recap

The Nashville Predators come into this game looking to bounce back from their 5-4 OT loss at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs last time out to sit at 1-1-1 this season. After this game, Nashville will head on the road again for a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Predators Looking To Rebound

Steven Stamkos leads the Nashville Predators through three games this season with a team-high 4 points and 3 goals. Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, and Nils Hoglander sit right behind him with 3 points each, with Forsberg leading the club with 3 assists and Hoglander matching Stamkos with 3 goals. Ryan O’Reilly has posted 2 points, while Brady Skjei, Matthew Wood, Alexander Kerfoot, Jack Ahcan, Adam Wilsby, and Mavrik Bourque have each added 1 point to round out Nashville’s scoring. In net, Juuse Saros has carried the load with a 1-1-1 record, posting a 2.95 GAA and a .907 save percentage after stopping 88 of 97 shots for the Predators up to this point in the season.

Montreal Canadiens Recap

The Montreal Canadiens come into this game looking to rebound from their 6-4 loss at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes last time out to sit at 1-1-1 this season. After this game, the Canadiens will take on the Detroit Red Wings at home.

Canadiens Drop Back-To-Back Games

Nick Suzuki leads the Montreal Canadiens through three games this season with a team-high 6 points and 4 assists while scoring 2 goals. Lane Hutson and Chris Kreider sit tied for second with 4 points apiece, with Hutson matching Suzuki’s 4 assists. Zack Bolduc paces the team with 3 goals to sit at 3 points, while Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov, Alexandre Texier, Alexandre Carrier, and Josh Anderson have each recorded 2 points. Noah Dobson, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Juraj Slafkovsky, Mike Matheson, and Phillip Danault have each added 1 point to round out Montreal’s scoring. In net, Jakub Dobes has carried the load with a 1-1-1 record, posting a 4.44 GAA and an .857 save percentage after stopping 78 of 91 shots for the Canadiens up to this point in the season.

Nashville Predators @ Montreal Canadiens Betting Trends: October 8, 2026

Why the Montreal Canadiens will win

• The Canadiens have won each of their last five games against the Predators.
• The Predators have lost each of their last four games against Atlantic Division opponents.
• The Canadiens have covered the puck line in each of their last four games against Central Division opponents.
• The Predators have failed to cover the puck line in four of their last five games at Bell Centre.
• The Predators have lost the second period in each of their last six road games when leading after the first period.

Why the Nashville Predators will win

• The Canadiens have lost seven of their last eight home games.
• The Predators have won each of their last four games after coming off overtime.
• The Predators have covered the puck line in each of their last seven road games against Atlantic Division opponents.
• The Canadiens have failed to cover the puck line in 10 of their last 11 games as favorites.
• The Canadiens have lost the second period in eight of their last nine games when leading after the first period.

Total Goals Facts

• Each of the Canadiens’ last six games against the Predators following a loss have gone OVER the total goals line.
• Six of the Predators’ last seven games as underdogs against opponents on a losing streak have gone UNDER the total goals line.
• The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in each of the Canadiens’ last 15 games.
• The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Predators’ last 10 games against Atlantic Division opponents.

Montreal Canadiens Player Prop Facts

• Alexandre Texier has scored a goal in four of his last five appearances against the Predators.
• Nick Suzuki has recorded at least one assist in each of the Canadiens’ last five games against the Predators.
• Kirby Dach has recorded 32 career shots against the Predators – most against any opponent (including playoffs).

Nashville Predators Player Prop Facts

• Steven Stamkos has scored the first goal in three of his last four appearances with his team as an underdog against the Canadiens.
• Steven Stamkos has scored a goal in each of his last four appearances with his team as a road underdog against the Canadiens.
• Roman Josi has recorded at least one assist in seven of his last eight appearances in road games.
• Nils Hoglander ranks 1st amongst qualified players for shooting percentage (75.0%) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Montreal Canadiens rank 30th in the league for goals against per game this season (4.67).
• The Montreal Canadiens rank 7th in the league for goals per game this season (4.00).
• The Nashville Predators rank 7th in the league in power play percentage this season (37.50%).
• The Nashville Predators rank 32nd in the league in penalty minutes this season (16).

Nashville Predators vs. Montreal Canadiens Prediction

I’m on the over in this game. I get the case to be made for either side in this game, but both teams have looked shaky defensively as of late and I think that could continue in this game. We’ve seen Montreal give up 6 goals in back-to-back games and Nashville just collapsed in their game against the Maple Leafs last time out. I think we have a higher-scoring game here, so give me the over.