Boston Bruins vs Montreal Canadiens Prediction 3/17/2026 Today’s NHL Picks

The Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens meet Tuesday 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 Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens prediction.

Boston Bruins Recap

The Boston Bruins come into this game looking to bounce back from their 4-3 OT loss at the hands of the New Jersey Devils last time out to sit at 37-23-7 this season. After this game, the Bruins wil head home for a game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Bruins Continue To Look For Consistency

Entering the game on Monday against New Jersey, David Pastrnak leads the Bruins in scoring with 79 points including 24 goals and a team-high 55 assists while Morgan Geekie has 57 points with a team-high 34 goals and 23 assists and Pavel Zacha has 46 points with 19 goals and 27 assists. Charlie McAvoy has 40 assists while Elias Lindholm has 40 points with 12 goals and 28 assists. Jeremy Swayman’s gone 26-14-3 with a 2.77 GAA and a .906 save percentage in goal for the Bruins while Joonas Korpisalo is 11-9-3 with a 3.28 GAA and an .892 save percentage so far this season.

Montreal Canadiens Recap

The Montreal Canadiens come into this game looking to shake off a 4-3 loss at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks last time out to sit at 36-20-10 this season. After this game, Montreal will head on the road for a game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Canadiens Drop Back-To-Back Games

Nick Suzuki leads Montreal with 78 points including 23 goals and 55 assists while Cole Caufield has 66 points with a team-high 39 goals and 27 assists. Lane Hutson has 67 points with a team-high 56 assists while Ivan Demidov has 52 points with 14 goals and 38 assists. Noah Dobson has 45 points with 33 assists and Mike Matheson has 33 points with 6 goals and 27 assists. Oliver Kapanen has 33 points with 20 goals and 13 assists while Zack Bolduc has 26 points with 10 goals and 16 assists. Sam Montembault has gone 10-8-4 with a 3.43 GAA and an .872 save percentage in goal for the Canadiens while Jakub Dobes is 21-7-4 with a 2.97 GAA and an .891 save percentage. Jacob Fowler is also 5-5-2 with a 2.69 GAA and an .902 save percentage for the Habs this season.

Boston Bruins @ Montreal Canadiens Betting Trends: March 17, 2026

Why the Montreal Canadiens will win

• The Bruins have lost each of their last six road games on the second leg of a back-to-back.
• The home team has won 16 of the Bruins’ last 18 games.
• The Canadiens have covered the puck line in each of their last four games against Atlantic Division opponents.
• The Bruins have failed to cover the puck line in four of their last five games at Bell Centre.
• The Canadiens have won the second period in each of their last six games when trailing after the first period.

Why the Boston Bruins will win

• The Bruins have won each of their last five games as an underdog when playing with a rest disadvantage.
• The Canadiens have lost four of their last five games as favorites.
• The Bruins have covered the puck line in 17 of their last 18 games as underdogs against opponents on a losing streak.
• The Canadiens have failed to cover the puck line in seven of their last eight games as favorites against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back.
• The Canadiens have lost the third period in each of their last six home games against Eastern Conference opponents when trailing after the second period.

Total Goals Facts

• Each of the Bruins’ last 10 Tuesday games as underdogs have gone OVER the total goals line.
• Seven of the Canadiens’ last eight games against the Bruins following a loss have gone OVER the total goals line.
• Each of the last four games between two teams from the Atlantic Division have gone UNDER the total goals line.
• The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Bruins’ last nine road games against opponents on a losing streak.
• The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in eight of the Canadiens’ last nine home games against Atlantic Division opponents.

Montreal Canadiens Player Prop Facts

• Cole Caufield has scored at least one goal in each of the Canadiens’ last six games against the Bruins.
• Nick Suzuki has recorded at least one assist in each of the Canadiens’ last five games against the Bruins.
• Cole Caufield ranks 2nd in the league for Goals (39) this season.

Boston Bruins Player Prop Facts

• David Pastrnak has scored at least one goal in five of his last six appearances after playing the previous day.
• David Pastrnak has recorded at least one assist in each of his last nine Tuesday appearances against Atlantic Division opponents.
• David Pastrnak has recorded at least four shots in each of his last three appearances – equal-longest active streak in the league.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Montreal Canadiens rank T2nd in the league for goals per game this season (3.50).
• The Montreal Canadiens rank 27th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (76.92%).
• The Boston Bruins rank 8th in the league in power play percentage this season (23.76%).
• The Boston Bruins rank 31st in the league for power play goals against this season (53).

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens Prediction

I’m on the Canadiens here. Boston’s owned this matchup over the years, I just don’t love this spot for Boston on a back-to-back against a Canadiens team that’s rested and looking to make some progress in terms of securing a top-3 spot in the Atlantic. Sure, Boston’s after the same sitting in the second wild card spot, but the Canadiens’ rest advantage and home ice looms large here and I think Montreal gets the win.

Chris Ruffolo's Pick: Montreal -165