NHL: Canadiens vs Islanders Odds, Analysis, & Picks

The New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens make their return from the Olympic break on Thursday evening with a matchup at the Bell Centre. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Both of these teams were hot before the league went on pause, and they will be looking to get right back on track here. Read below for the Islanders vs Canadiens picks.

Odds courtesy of TonyBet.

Canadiens vs Islanders Odds

The Canadiens are a -154 moneyline favorite at NHL betting sites. The Islanders return at +120. The O/U is set at six goals.

New York has won three of the last four meetings with Montreal, but this is the first clash in the 2025-26 campaign.

Canadiens vs Islanders Analysis

Montreal’s roster is loaded with talent, and while they’re not seen as a Stanley Cup contender quite yet, this organization isn’t far off. The Habs are in second place in the Atlantic Division with an impressive 32-17-8 record, compiling 72 points. They’re only six points behind the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning. Prior to the break, Montreal was 6-3-1 in its last 10 games, winning four of its previous five before the league hit pause for the Olympics in Milan.

Captain Nick Suzuki, who just represented Canada in Italy, leads the way with 65 points. Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov, and Juraj Slaskovsky round out this core for the Canadiens, but many others play a key part. The likes of Noah Dobson, Oliver Kapanen, and Mike Matheson remain important pieces for this incredibly deep Montreal team. The Habs have had their struggles at home, though, going 16-11-1. Surprisingly, they actually have a better record on the road.

The Islanders are also in contention for the playoffs over in the Metropolitan Division. New York has a 32-21-5 record, putting them in third place behind the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes. The Isles won two straight before the break, and they will be hoping to keep their winning ways alive in general, and against Montreal.

Matthew Barzal is once again the main man for NY, registering 51 points, including 17 goals and 34 assists. Bo Horvat, rookie Matthew Schaefer, and Anders Lee have all compiled at least 30 points as well. These four make up for a decent chunk of the Islanders’ production. Overall, New York has struggled to score goals, ranking 24th in the NHL. But, they’re goaltending has been phenomenal, allowing just 2.71 goals per contest. That’s thanks to Ilya Sorokin, who has a 2.43 GAA. David Rittich has also played well, posting a 2.57 GAA. The Islanders have played well on the road this season, posting a 16-11-3 record.

Canadiens vs Islanders Picks

Five straight meetings between Montreal and New York have been decided by only one goal. With that being said, I’ll take the Isles to make this one close, or potentially win on the road.

Pick: Islanders +1.5 (-200) /TonyBet