Montréal Canadiens vs Vegas Golden Knights Picks and Predictions January 27th 2026

Vegas and Montreal run it back on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre, with puck drop set for 7:00 PM ET and streaming on ESPN+. The Golden Knights come in 25-14-12 and still sit atop the Pacific, but the form has cooled after a seven-game win streak and that ugly 7-1 loss in Ottawa. Montreal is 28-17-7 and hanging in the Atlantic race, but it has dropped two straight and the margin is thin if the Canadiens want to get back into a top-three spot.

This feels like one of those games where the standings say “good teams,” but the day-to-day says “not quite right.” Vegas is finishing the last stop of a road swing, while Montreal is back home needing points badly. The market has it close, basically a pick’em, and I get why.

Vegas Golden Knights vs Montreal Canadiens Odds

These are the current betting lines, and bettors should always monitor updated Vegas Golden Knights vs Montreal Canadiens odds before locking anything in.

Team	Moneyline	Puck Line	Total
Vegas Golden Knights	-118	-1.5 (+205)	O 6.5 (-110)
Montreal Canadiens	-102	+1.5 (-250)	U 6.5 (-110)

Vegas Golden Knights Betting Form

Vegas has been a little volatile lately. You see the 6-3 win in Toronto and the 7-2 win at home against Nashville, then you see a 2-1 loss to Philly, a 4-3 loss in Boston, and the 7-1 faceplant in Ottawa. That’s not just “bad luck” variance. It’s more like stretches where their puck management gets sloppy and they start defending too much.

The one thing that still grades out well is special teams. Vegas is converting at a high rate on the power play and the penalty kill has been solid too, which matters in tight games where one extra penalty is basically a goal. If you want the quick snapshot of how their recent games have been priced and how they’ve played in different scripts, the Vegas Golden Knights stats and results page is the cleanest way to track it.

Availability is a real part of the handicap, and it’s not fully settled. Brett Howden is on IR and Colton Sissons is out, and that kind of middle-six disruption can show up in matchup minutes and penalty-kill rotations. Monitor the Vegas Golden Knights injury report before puck drop, especially if you’re considering derivatives like team totals or goal scorer props.

Montreal Canadiens Betting Form

Montreal’s current form is better than the two-game skid suggests. The Canadiens have been scoring, but the defensive details have gone sideways at the worst time. They lost 4-2 to Buffalo at home, then 4-3 in Boston, and both games had moments where the structure just… disappeared. It’s also a team that can get dragged into run-and-gun stretches even when that’s not the smartest way to play.

Offensively, the top-end is carrying them, and the power play is good enough to punish a team like Vegas if the Knights take lazy penalties. At home, Montreal has done a decent job banking points, and that’s why I’m not rushing to fade them just because the last two were losses. If you want matchup context like home/away splits and where the scoring is coming from lately, the Montreal Canadiens schedule and stats page helps frame it.

The injury list looks manageable, but one name matters. Patrik Laine is on IR, and that impacts secondary scoring and some power-play looks. Keep tabs on the Montreal Canadiens injury report in case anything changes after morning skate.

Vegas Golden Knights vs Montreal Canadiens Matchup Breakdown

This matchup is mostly about game state. Vegas is comfortable playing a heavier, more controlled style when they’re sharp, but when their execution drops, games open up fast and they start trading chances. Montreal is almost the opposite. They can score in bunches, but they’re not always disciplined enough defensively to protect a lead without turning it into a track meet.

Special teams are a swing factor. Vegas has the cleaner profile there, and Montreal’s penalty kill has been leaky enough that I don’t love backing the Habs if you think this turns into a whistle-heavy game. If you want a refresher on how to weigh power-play and penalty-kill edges into sides and totals, it’s worth revisiting the NHL betting guide and applying it to how these teams actually win games right now.

Goaltending is also not a small detail here. Montreal has already named Jakub Dobes as the starter, while Vegas looks less certain and could go either way depending on how they want to respond after the Ottawa loss. If Vegas lands on the “safe” goalie option and plays tighter, the Under becomes more interesting. If it’s a leaky start or early special-teams damage, 6.5 can get there quickly. And yes, if you’re thinking bigger picture with Vegas and the Western Conference, this is the kind of spot that can nudge futures perception too. The Stanley Cup betting guide is a good framework for that, even if you’re mostly betting single games.

Vegas Golden Knights vs Montreal Canadiens Predictions and Best Bets

My side lean is Montreal on the moneyline. The number is basically asking you who you trust more in a tight game, and right now I trust Montreal’s urgency at home a little more than Vegas finishing a road trip after getting embarrassed. That sounds a bit narrative-driven, but I also think it shows up in the way teams manage risk with the puck after a blowout loss. Some clubs tighten up. Some spiral. I’m not convinced Vegas is fully stable at the moment.

If you want to make the Vegas case, it’s pretty clear: better special teams, better overall defensive baseline, and a profile that usually travels. Also, the market shading Vegas as the slight favorite isn’t nothing. But at this price, I’d rather be holding the home side than laying it with the team that’s been bouncing between sharp and sloppy.

On the total, I’m slightly torn. The recent results scream Over, but 6.5 is a real number, and Dobes being confirmed makes me hesitant to auto-bet goals. If Vegas starts the steadier goalie and plays a cleaner road game, this can land 3-2 either way and the Over is dead. I’d rather keep totals to a smaller stake or look for live opportunities once we see the pace.

Best Bet: Montreal Canadiens moneyline (-102).

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