The Canadiens will play the Lightning on Tuesday, March 31st, 2026. Your timezone's face off time is 7:08 pm EDT. 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
We're now in the back half of the 2025-26 NHL regular season. Face off for the matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning happens on Tuesday, March 31st, 2026. Review each team's performance trends and insights below. Finally, recall that each team's point tally determines their playoff eligibility and seed. Stacking up as many wins as possible is key to securing an optimal NHL playoffs berth.
- SportsBetting3.com Power Rankings - The Montreal Canadiens now have a 96.67 SportsBetting3.com power ranking with the Tampa Bay Lightning starting this game with a 98.00 power ranking. Generally speaking, the team with the higher power ranking will be the moneyline favorite.
- Away Montreal Canadiens - The Montreal Canadiens have a 20-8-8 record as an away team. That standing puts them 5th in the league for away team wins. However, the Montreal Canadiens now rank 12th for away team losses.
- Home Tampa Bay Lightning - The puck drops for the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 23-12-1 record as a home team. That result ranks them 3rd in the league for home team wins. But, they now sit at 8th for home team losses.
- Goals Scored - Heading into the second half of the 2025-26 NHL season, the Montreal Canadiens rank 4th (258) for goals scored. The Tampa Bay Lightning currently rank 2nd (267) in the league for goals scored.
- Goals Against - Teams that allow fewer goals have better defensive players and goalies. The Montreal Canadiens rank 8th (233) in the league for goals allowed. As for the Tampa Bay Lightning, they've allowed 203 goals this season, resulting in a 22nd league ranking.
- Shootout Records - A tie following 3 periods of regulation time and overtime mean a shootout will be held to determine the winner. The Montreal Canadiens have a 2-5 shootout win-loss record, with the Tampa Bay Lightning owning a 4-2 shootout record.
- Team Records - The Montreal Canadiens have a 42-21-10 record and the Tampa Bay Lightning hold a 46-21-6 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 crucial clash on March 31st, 2026. The stakes are high...
NHL teams with top point totals get the best playoff seeds. The Canadiens stand at 42-21-10 with a 0.575 win percentage...while the Lightning hold a 46-21-6 record and a 0.630 win percentage. Behold their standings...
We've conjured the finest moneyline, puck line, and goal total lines...for this epic showdown. Place thy bets at BetRivers or BetMGM...and may the odds be ever in thy favor. Learn the ways of hockey betting...at SportsBetting3.com before the battle begins.
Prepare for a magical contest as these two mighty teams clash...in a battle for supremacy on the frozen battlefield. The Canadiens seek glory...while the Lightning aim to strike them down. Who shall emerge victorious?
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 -175 moneyline favorite at BetMGM and the Montreal Canadiens are the +145 moneyline underdog at BetMGM.
The best over line is 6.5 -102 goals at BetMGM, which means you risk $102 to win $100 betting the over. The best under line is 6.5 -118 goals at BetMGM, and that means you risk $118 to win $100 betting the under.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are -1.5 +140 puck line favorites at BetMGM, while the Montreal Canadiens are +1.5 -165 puck line underdogs at BetMGM.
NHL Odds Example
|
Game |
 BetMGMBet |
|---|---|
Canadiens
Lightning
3/31/26 7:08pm EDT | +145-175 |
- Montreal Canadiens bettors risk $100 to win $145 at +145 odds. The implied probability for Montreal Canadiens is 40.82%.
- Tampa Bay Lightning bettors risk $100 to win $57.14 at -175 odds. The implied probability for Tampa Bay Lightning is 63.64%.
Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning Prop Bets
| BetMGM Bet |
|
|---|---|
Canadiens
Lightning
Both Teams Score 2+ Goals
3/31/26 7:08pm EDT | Yes -190No +140Bet |
Canadiens
Total Goals
MTL at TBL 3/31/26 7:08pm EDT | 2.5 o -1352.5 u -102Bet |
Lightning
Total Goals
MTL at TBL 3/31/26 7:08pm EDT | 3.5 o -1183.5 u -118Bet |
Brandon Hagel
To Score 3 Goals
MTL at TBL 3/31/26 7:08pm EDT | Yes +6600Bet |
| BetMGM | |
Brayden Point
To Score 3 Goals
MTL at TBL 3/31/26 7:08pm EDT | Yes +8000Bet |
Cole Caufield
To Score 3 Goals
MTL at TBL 3/31/26 7:08pm EDT | Yes +4500Bet |
Jake Guentzel
To Score 3 Goals
MTL at TBL 3/31/26 7:08pm EDT | Yes +5000Bet |
Juraj Slafkovsky
To Score 3 Goals
MTL at TBL 3/31/26 7:08pm EDT | Yes +8000Bet |
| BetMGM | |
Nikita Kucherov
To Score 3 Goals
MTL at TBL 3/31/26 7:08pm EDT | Yes +4500Bet |
Team Standings
| Team | GP | W | L | OTL | wPct | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Diff | Home | Away | SO | L10 | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x - Tampa Bay Lightning | 78 | 48 | 24 | 6 | 0.615 | 102 | 44 | 281 | 221 | +60.0 | 25-13-1 | 23-11-5 | 4-2 | 5-3-2 | L2 |
| x - Montreal Canadiens | 78 | 46 | 22 | 10 | 0.590 | 102 | 42 | 273 | 245 | +28.0 | 23-14-2 | 23-8-8 | 4-5 | 9-1-0 | 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 | +2500 Bet |
|
Team | BetMGM |
|---|---|
| Lightning | +450 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 Tuesday, March 31st, 2026 at 7:08 pm EDT, 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 March 31, 2026 NHL Games
- Dallas Stars vs Boston Bruins - 3/31/26 7:08pm EDT
- Philadelphia Flyers vs Washington Capitals - 3/31/26 7:08pm EDT
- Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins - 3/31/26 7:08pm EDT
- New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers - 3/31/26 7:08pm EDT
- Ottawa Senators vs Florida Panthers - 3/31/26 7:08pm EDT
- New York Islanders vs Buffalo Sabres - 3/31/26 7:08pm EDT
- Carolina Hurricanes vs Columbus Blue Jackets - 3/31/26 7:38pm EDT
- Winnipeg Jets vs Chicago Blackhawks - 3/31/26 8:38pm EDT
- Seattle Kraken vs Edmonton Oilers - 3/31/26 9:08pm EDT