Florida Panthers vs Montreal Canadiens Prediction & Picks - 1/8/2026
Updated January 8, 2026
Updated January 8, 2026
The Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens are set to collide on Thursday at Bell Centre in Montreal. Both clubs enter this showdown in playoff contention in the Atlantic Division. Florida is a slight favorite on the road, as they look to bust out of a recent slump, while the Canadiens try to get a second win in as many nights. Before this contest begins in Canada, continue reading for my Panthers vs Canadiens prediction.
Pick: | Panthers ML |
Confidence: | 3/5 |
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The Canadiens arrive playing great hockey, having posted a strong 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, paced by Alexandre Texier’s three-point effort and solid goaltending from Jacob Fowler. Montreal’s run has seen them collect wins in four of their last five games. Florida has lost three of its last four games, with their lone win over that stretch coming against a Colorado Avalanche team that has been the best in the NHL by far. The Panthers will try to use their rest advantage to get a win in this contest on the road.
The goaltending matchup in this game could give the edge to the Panthers. Montreal is likely to go with Sam Montembeault in net, who has a 3.48 GAA this season and is struggling to limit scoring from his opponents. Florida is expected to start Sergei Bobrovsky, who checks in with a superior GAA of 2.85. Bobrovsky has been far from perfect this year, but should give the Panthers the upper hand in the goaltending matchup.
Florida’s Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart lead the Panthers offensively, both contributing over 40 points this season. Marchand’s status is worth watching, as he exited the Maple Leafs game early due to a minor injury and is listed as day-to-day. Montreal’s attack is led by Cole Caufield’s finishing touch, and strong contributions from Lane Hutson and Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens’ offensive depth gives them a chance to trouble Florida’s defense, even on the second leg of a back-to-back.
Player | Prop |
|---|---|
Brad Marchand (FLA) | Over 1.5 Points |
Sam Reinhart (FLA) | Over 0.5 Points |
Score Projection: Panthers 3 – Canadiens 2
Win Probability: Panthers 56%, Canadiens 44%
If the rest was equal between these teams, I'd likely go with the Canadiens to get the win tonight. But with the Habs playing for the second night in a row, I'll go with the Panthers to get the job done on the road as a slight favorite.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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