Steve Starr
- BetOnline has the Canadiens as a heavy +275 underdog to advance past the Golden Knights
- Montreal’s odds to win the Stanley Cup are still +1000 despite being tied with Vegas 1-1 in their Semifinal series
- Fellow Wisconsin alum J.J. Watt has become a superfan of diminutive Habs rookie Cole Caufield
The Canadiens evened their best-of-seven Stanley Cup Semifinals series against Vegas with a hard-fought 3-2 victory in Game 2 on Wednesday, but oddsmakers still aren’t giving them much of a chance to get past the Golden Knights.
Despite the series shifting north of the border, Montreal is at +144 to win Game 3, +275 to win the series, and +1000 to lift Lord Stanley. Let’s look at the latest odds and discuss whether the Habs can hoist the Cup for the first time since 1993.
You can also check out our NHL betting tips page for advice on how to wager on hockey.
Montreal Canadiens Playoff Odds
 |
|
| Canadiens To Win Game 3 vs. Golden Knights | +144 |
| Canadiens To Win Series vs. Golden Knights | +275 |
| Canadiens To Win Stanley Cup | +1000 |
Habs renew hope
The suspicion all season was that the North was the NHL’s weakest division and the Canadiens finished at the very bottom of it. The Habs also had the worst record among the 16 teams to qualify for the postseason, so when Vegas spanked them 4-1 in Game 1 many thought the series was headed for a sweep.
Not so fast. Montreal jumped out to a 3-0 lead with goals from Joel Armia, Tyler Toffoli, and Paul Byron and hung on for a 3-2 road win thanks to 29 saves from Conn Smythe candidate Carey Price. Earning the split in Vegas gives the Habs home-ice advantage with three of the series’ remaining games scheduled for the Bell Centre.
Carey Price with the 😉 after robbing Mark Stone pic.twitter.com/b9nLN2rdm3
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) June 15, 2021
The Canadiens have a 3-2 home record in the postseason, but both losses came against the Leafs in the first round when their building was still sitting empty. More importantly, the Habs are playing lockdown defense, limiting star winger Mark Stone and old friend Max Pacioretty to a combined five shots on goal and no points.
In fact, Montreal may be doing too well pushing their opposition to the outside considering the Knights’ D corps has accounted for five of the six goals. If you believe they can take the series lead in front of 3,500 fans singing “Olé, Olé, Olé” on Friday night, the Habs are available at +144 on BetOnline.
Canadiens’ run to the Cup
With Carey Price locked in and playing like the best goaltender on planet earth, the Canadiens don’t need much scoring to win games. And they’re getting more than enough from free-agent acquisition Tyler Toffoli, who led the Habs in scoring in the regular season and is also leading the way in the playoffs with 5 goals and 7 assists.
Cole Caufield also has points in four consecutive games and five of the past six contests, making a superfan out of NFL superstar and fellow Wisconsin Badgers alum J.J. Watt.
Great stuff from @emilymkaplan here https://t.co/Z52nNPDTAn
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 17, 2021
Montreal is now at +275 to sneak by Vegas, after opening at +375 at the start of the Semifinal series. They’re likely to be big underdogs again in the Stanley Cup Final if they play the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning, who could be the only team in the NHL that can match the Habs between the pipes with Vezina finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy.
However, if the pesky Islanders down the Bolts, the Canadiens would likely be close to EVEN odds to beat New York in the final. If you’re laying money on the Habs, why not dream big at this point? Take Montreal to win the Cup at +1000 at BetOnline.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
