The Canadiens will play the Lightning on Sunday, December 28th, 2025. Your timezone's face off time is 5:08 pm EST. Check local listings or your nearest streaming app for coverage.
Learn more about NHL Betting with our handy tutorial and guide. We explain money line, total and puck line bets. Plus, a great discussion about exotic bets like NHL parlays and props.
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Table of Contents
- Matchup Stats
- Moneyline Mage
- Best Odds
- Interactive Odds Example
- Prop Bets
- Team Standings
- Futures Odds
- Team Pages
- Other Games Today
Key Matchup Stats
With the 2025-26 NHL regular season in full swing, let's turn the page to an exciting matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning. The puck hits the ice on Sunday, December 28th, 2025. Each team's performance trends are starting to firm up. Keeping that in mind, have a look at stats below before you place a wager.
- SportsBetting3.com Power Rankings - The Montreal Canadiens currently have a 93.33 SportsBetting3.com power ranking with the Tampa Bay Lightning heading into this matchup with a 97.00 power ranking. The team with the higher power ranking is often the favorite.
- Away Montreal Canadiens - The Montreal Canadiens have a 10-3-4 record as an away team, ranking them 4th in the league for away team wins. On the flip side, the Montreal Canadiens now rank 11th for away team losses.
- Home Tampa Bay Lightning - The Tampa Bay Lightning start this game with a 10-9-0 record as a home team. That puts them 5th in the league for home team wins. However, they rank 3rd for home team losses.
- Goals Scored - At this point in the 2025-26 NHL season, the Montreal Canadiens rank 7th (123) for goals scored. Their opponent, the Tampa Bay Lightning, currently rank 9th (121) in the league for goals scored.
- Goals Against - Teams that allow fewer goals tend to have better goalies and defensive capabilities. The Montreal Canadiens rank 9th (124) in the league for goals scored against them. Looking at the Tampa Bay Lightning, they've given up 97 goals this season, ranking them 25th in the league.
- Shootout Records - If the game is tied at the end of regulation and overtime, a shootout will be held to determine the winner. Keep this in mind: the Montreal Canadiens have a 2-3 shootout win-loss record, with the Tampa Bay Lightning owning a 0-1 shootout record.
- Team Records - The Montreal Canadiens have a 20-12-5 record and the Tampa Bay Lightning hold a 21-13-3 at this point in the 2025-26 NHL regular season.
Moneyline Mage
Spelling out the winners with humor since the middle ages.
Hear ye, hear ye! The Montreal Canadiens... face the Tampa Bay Lightning in a clash of NHL titans...
The Canadiens stand at 20-12-5... while the Lightning boast a record of 21-13-3... Both teams are hungry for a win to solidify their playoff position...
Review each team's stats and standing... before the game begins to predict the outcome of this epic battle...
Have a look at this matchup's game and player prop bets below... Consider placing a bet at BetRivers or BetMGM... (learn how to bet on hockey at SportsBetting3.com)...
The Montreal Canadiens have a 0.541 win percentage... and the Tampa Bay Lightning have a 0.568 win percentage... The stakes are high in this showdown between these NHL powerhouses...
So, grab your wands and wizard hats... and get ready for a magical display of hockey prowess on Sunday night... Will the Canadiens cast a spell on the Lightning, or will Tampa Bay strike back with lightning speed? Only time will tell... Let the games begin!
Best Canadiens at Lightning Odds
| Underdog Montreal Canadiens | Favorite Tampa Bay Lightning |
|---|---|
| Over | Under |
|---|---|
| Underdog Montreal Canadiens | Favorite Tampa Bay Lightning |
|---|---|
Matchup Odds FAQs
The Tampa Bay Lightning are the -150 moneyline favorite at BetMGM and the Montreal Canadiens are the +125 moneyline underdog at BetMGM.
The best over line is 6.5 +100 goals at BetMGM, which means you risk $100 to win $100 betting the over. The best under line is 6.5 -120 goals at BetMGM, and that means you risk $120 to win $100 betting the under.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are -1.5 +155 puck line favorites at BetMGM, while the Montreal Canadiens are +1.5 -190 puck line underdogs at BetMGM.
NHL Odds Example
|
Game |
 BetMGMBet |
|---|---|
Canadiens
Lightning
5:08pm EST | +125-150 |
- Montreal Canadiens bettors risk $100 to win $125 at +125 odds. The implied probability for Montreal Canadiens is 44.44%.
- Tampa Bay Lightning bettors risk $100 to win $66.67 at -150 odds. The implied probability for Tampa Bay Lightning is 60%.
Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning Prop Bets
| BetMGM Bet |
|
|---|---|
Canadiens
Lightning
Both Teams Score 2+ Goals
5:08pm EST | Yes -190No +140Bet |
Canadiens
Total Goals
MTL at TBL 5:08pm EST | 3 o +1053 u -145Bet |
Lightning
Total Goals
MTL at TBL 5:08pm EST | 3.5 o -1023.5 u -135Bet |
Brayden Point
To Score 3 Goals
MTL at TBL 5:08pm EST | Yes +6000Bet |
| BetMGM | |
Cole Caufield
To Score 3 Goals
MTL at TBL 5:08pm EST | Yes +6000Bet |
Jake Guentzel
To Score 3 Goals
MTL at TBL 5:08pm EST | Yes +4500Bet |
Nikita Kucherov
To Score 3 Goals
MTL at TBL 5:08pm EST | Yes +4500Bet |
Team Standings
| Team | GP | W | L | OTL | wPct | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Diff | Home | Away | SO | L10 | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 37 | 21 | 13 | 3 | 0.568 | 45 | 21 | 121 | 97 | +24.0 | 10-9-0 | 11-4-3 | 0-1 | 5-4-1 | W3 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 37 | 20 | 12 | 5 | 0.541 | 45 | 18 | 123 | 124 | -1.0 | 10-9-1 | 10-3-4 | 2-3 | 5-3-2 | W1 |
Montreal Canadiens & Tampa Bay Lightning Futures Odds
Latest Stanley Cup odds, if available, for each team. Review odds for other teams and learn how Stanley Cup betting works. See past Championship results and learn how to bet NHL teasers, props and parlays.
Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup Odds|
Team | BetMGM |
|---|---|
| Canadiens | +6000 Bet |
|
Team | BetMGM |
|---|---|
| Lightning | +800 Bet |
Montreal Canadiens & Tampa Bay Lightning Team Pages
Review each team's season point total odds, futures odds, betting bonuses and other valuable information on our exclusive team betting odds pages. Team betting odds and stats update throughout the season:
How to Bet on the Game
Time needed: 4 minutes.
How to Bet on the Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning NHL Game
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Open a new sports betting account before game time.
Review our list of sports betting sites. Open a new account before the game starts on Sunday, December 28th, 2025 at 5:08 pm EST, making sure to enter all your personal details correctly. Don't forget to add your bonus code.
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Visit the sportsbook’s cashier, banking, or deposit page.
Navigate to the sportsbook's deposit page. Use your Visa card or MasterCard, or deposit with a bank transfer, or other methods like Paypal.
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Tap to the sportsbook's NHL page, look for the Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game.
Navigate to the sportsbook's NHL page. Next, look for live or upcoming matchups. Select the Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game.
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Choose your bet and place a wager.
Choose your bet and then use the funds you deposited to place a wager. The sportsbook will pay your winnings or deduct a losing wager from your account balance after the game.
Other December 28, 2025 NHL Games
- New York Islanders vs Columbus Blue Jackets - 5:08pm EST
- Pittsburgh Penguins vs Chicago Blackhawks - 7:08pm EST
- Toronto Maple Leafs vs Detroit Red Wings - 7:08pm EST
- Philadelphia Flyers vs Seattle Kraken - 8:08pm EST