| MATCHUP | Buffalo Sabres | Montreal Canadiens |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 27-17-5 | 28-15-7 |
| Spread | +1.5 -230 | -1.5 190 |
| Moneyline | +105 | -125 |
| Total | Over 6.5 (-118) | Under 6.5 (-102) |
| Where | Bell Centre, Montreal, QC | |
| When | Thursday, January 22, 2026 | |
| Time | 07:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
Montreal Canadiens Preview
The Canadiens have 63 points this season with a 28-15-7 record, and are 28-21 ATS and 30-18 in over/under. They have a 14-10-1 home record and a 14-5-6 road record and are sitting 3rd in the Atlantic Division. They are coming off a 4-3 home win over the Wild, and their previous three games were a 6-5 road overtime win over the Senators, a 5-3 road loss to the Sabres, and a 3-2 road overtime loss to the Capitals.
Offensively, the Canadiens are averaging 3.40 goals per game and are scoring 23.4% of their power play opportunities. Defensively, they are allowing 3.26 goals per game and are killing 77.4% of their opponent’s power plays.
Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens with 55 points and 40 assists, while Cole Caufield leads the team in goals with 25. Jakub Dobes is the starting goalie for the Canadiens, and he has a 15-5-3 record, with 3.01 GAA and .887 SV%. Samuel Montembeault is the backup goalie and he has a 9-6-2 record, with 3.44 GAA and .873 SV%.
Buffalo Sabres Preview
The Sabres have 59 points this season with a 27-17-5 record, and are 26-22 ATS and 23-23 in over/under. They have a 16-6-3 home record and a 11-11-2 road record and are sitting 4th in the Atlantic Division. They are coming off a 5-3 road win over the Predators, and their previous three games were a 2-1 road loss to the Hurricanes, a 5-4 home overtime loss to the Wild, and a 5-3 home win over the Canadiens.
Offensively, the Sabres are averaging 3.27 goals per game and are scoring 19.3% of their power play opportunities. Defensively, they are allowing 3.12 goals per game and are killing 82.8% of their opponent’s power plays.
Tage Thompson leads the Sabres with 51 points and 26 goals, while Rasmus Dahlin leads the team in assists with 29. Alex Lyon is the starting goalie for the Sabres, and he has a 11-6-3 record, with 2.83 GAA and .907 SV%. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is the backup goalie and he has a 10-7-2 record, with 2.69 GAA and .903 SV%.
Buffalo Sabres @ Montreal Canadiens Betting Trends: January 22, 2026
Why the Montreal Canadiens will win
- The Sabres have lost each of their last five games at Bell Centre against opponents on a winning streak.
- The Canadiens have won six of their last seven home games.
- The Canadiens have covered the puck line in seven of their last eight games against the Sabres following a home win.
- The Sabres have failed to cover the puck line in three of their last four games at Bell Centre.
- The Canadiens have won the first period in each of their last four home games against the Sabres.
Why the Buffalo Sabres will win
- The Sabres have won each of their last 12 night games following a road win.
- The Canadiens have lost four of their last five games as home favorites following a home win.
- The Sabres have covered the puck line in each of their last seven games as underdogs.
- The Canadiens have failed to cover the puck line in eight of their last nine games as favorites following a home win.
- The Canadiens have lost the third period in each of their last five home games against Eastern Conference opponents when trailing after the second period.
Total Goals Facts
- Each of the Sabres’ last seven night games have gone OVER the total goals line.
- Five of the Canadiens’ last six games as favorites following a win have gone UNDER the total goals line.
- Each of the last three games between teams from the same division have gone UNDER the total goals line.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in each of the Canadiens’ last nine games against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in each of the Sabres’ last nine night games.
Montreal Canadiens Player Prop Facts
- Cole Caufield has scored the first goal in three of the Canadiens’ last four games against the Sabres.
- Cole Caufield has scored at least one goal in each of the Canadiens’ last three games.
- Nick Suzuki has recorded at least one assist in each of the Canadiens’ last six games against the Sabres.
- Cole Caufield ranks T1st in the league for Game Winning Goals (7) this season.
Buffalo Sabres Player Prop Facts
- Tage Thompson has scored at least one goal in four of the Sabres’ last five games as underdogs against Atlantic Division opponents.
- Rasmus Dahlin has recorded at least one assist in seven of the Sabres’ last eight games as underdogs against Atlantic Division opponents.
- Tage Thompson has scored three goals against the Canadiens this season – equal-most against any opponent.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Montreal Canadiens rank 3rd in the league for goals per game this season (3.40).
- The Montreal Canadiens rank 26th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (77.44%).
- The Buffalo Sabres rank 7th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (82.84%).
- The Buffalo Sabres have recorded the equal-longest road winning streak (7 games) in the NHL this season.
Sabres vs Canadiens Prediction
Both teams are tied 1-1 in their two meetings this season, with each one winning at home. The Canadiens won 4-2 and the Sabres 5-3, but the Canadiens are 5-1 in their last 6 meetings.
In this Sabres vs Canadiens Prediction, the Canadiens are coming as – home favorites. The Canadiens have been the slightly better team this season and are facing a Sabres team that has been weaker on the road. Both teams are just 3-3 in their last 6 games, so I see no value on either side, but both have been playing some higher-scoring games lately, going for 12-2 to the over in their last 14 games combined. Over is also 4-2 in their last 6 meetings so I’m going with the over 6.5 goals in this one.