The Montreal Canadiens will host the Nashville Predators on Thursday night in a matchup of teams off to promising starts on the ice. The Canadiens enter off three straight wins, including an overtime thriller over the Seattle Kraken. Nashville is looking to rebound from a 7-4 loss to Toronto, but both teams enter this game in the top three in their respective divisions. Before they face off in Montreal, continue reading to get my Predators vs Canadiens prediction for Thursday’s matchup.
Our Predators vs Canadiens Pick
- Pick: Over 5.5
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Nashville Predators vs Montreal Canadiens
- Date & Time: Thursday, October 16, 2025, 7:00 PM ET
- Venue: Bell Centre, Montréal, Québec
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
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Montreal has won its last three games, including a 5–4 overtime win over Seattle on a Cole Caufield overtime goal on Tuesday. That kind of clutch play gives the Canadiens momentum early in the season. Nashville comes off a rough defensive night against Toronto, as the Maple Leafs dropped seven goals on them. But the Preds have secured at least a point in three of their first four games and they will try to get back on track after their first regulation loss of the year.
Goaltending
Montreal’s starter is likely to be Sam Montembeault, who has shown he can be reliable in key moments. His .870 save percentage leaves plenty to be desired but Montembeault is off to a decent start in spite of that. Nashville’s Juuse Saros is off to a 2-0-1 start this season. Justus Annunen was destroyed by the Leafs in his first game of the season in goal and Saros will attempt to get his team moving in the right direction here.
Key skaters
Cole Caufield is dangerous, as evidenced by him scoring the OT winner in the Habs’ last game. Nick Suzuki has been a facilitator for Montreal’s offense with six assists through four games. Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault are the top weapons for the Predators. But Erik Haula has led the Preds in both goals and assists with two of each early on.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Cole Caufield (MTL) | Over 0.5 Goals |
| Nick Suzuki (MTL) | Over 1.5 Assists |
| Filip Forsberg (NSH) | Over 0.5 Points |
Betting Trends & H2H
- Nashville is 2-2 on the puckline going into this game.
- The Canadiens are 1-3 in the puckline market so far this season.
- Three of the Predators’ first four games have stayed under their totals.
- The Canadiens are 2-1-1 to the over early in the year.
Predators vs Canadiens Model Projection
Score Projection: Canadiens 4 – Predators 2
Win Probability: Canadiens 63% / Predators 37%
Final Thoughts
Montreal should get the job done on home ice in this game. They scored five goals in their home opener and the duo of Suzuki and Caulfield should remain an ever-present threat against Nashville. I’ll back the Habs to win convincingly as they will grab their fourth win in a row and hand Nashville a third defeat in four games.
