The Lightning will play the Canadiens on Friday, May 1st, 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
The 2026 NHL playoffs continue, featuring a big game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens on Friday, May 1st, 2026. Below, you'll find some useful stats from the regular season that may be helpful as you handicap this matchup. After that, we've gathered the best moneyline, goal total, and puck line bets from our licensed and legal sports betting partners.
- SportsBetting3.com Power Rankings - The Tampa Bay Lightning ended their 2025-26 NHL regular season with a 96.33 power ranking. The Montreal Canadiens start this game with a 94.33 power ranking. In most cases, the team with the higher SportsBetting3.com power ranking will be the moneyline favorite, with some exceptions depending on the particular playoff matchup.
- Away Tampa Bay Lightning - The Tampa Bay Lightning step on the ice with 24-12-5 regular season record as an away team, a result that ranks them 2nd in the league for away team wins. As a side note, the Tampa Bay Lightning ranked 12th during the regular season for away team losses.
- Home Montreal Canadiens - The Montreal Canadiens skated to the playoffs with a 24-15-2 record as a home team, which put them 4th in the league for home team wins during the regular season. Interestingly, they wound up 6th for home team losses.
- Goals Scored - The Tampa Bay Lightning ranked 4th (290) for goals scored, with the Montreal Canadiens ultimately ranking 6th (283) in the league for goals scored during the 2025-26 NHL regular season.
- Goals Against - Keep tabs on the health of the goalies and defensive players as the 2026 playoffs continue. The Tampa Bay Lightning ranked 23rd (231) in the league for goals allowed during the regular season. But the Montreal Canadiens allowed 256 goals during the regular season, resulting in a 13th overall league ranking.
- Shootout Records - A shootout will be held to determine the winner following a tie after 3 periods and overtime. At the end of the regular season, the Tampa Bay Lightning had a 4-2 shootout win-loss record, with the Montreal Canadiens finishing up with a 4-5 shootout record.
- Team Records - The Tampa Bay Lightning had a 50-26-6 record and the Montreal Canadiens tallied a 48-24-10 at the conclusion of 2025-26 NHL regular season.
Moneyline Mage
Spelling out the winners with humor since the middle ages.
Hear ye, hear ye! The Tampa Bay Lightning face off against the Montreal Canadiens...in the 2026 NHL playoffs on Friday, May 1st. The Lightning had a 50-26-6 regular season standing...while the Canadiens finished at 48-24-10. Both teams tallied 106 points.
Behold, the Lightning ended the regular season with a 0.610 win percentage...while the Canadiens had a 0.585 win percentage. It's sure to be a magical matchup...between these two powerhouse teams. The puck will drop, and the wizardry will commence.
Have a look at each team's regular season standings below...before placing your bets on the NHL playoffs. We've sorted out the best moneyline, goal total, and puck line bets below. Make sure to place a bet on the NHL playoffs at BetRivers or BetMGM...and witness the spellbinding action unfold before your very eyes. May the best team emerge victorious in the battle on the ice!
Best Lightning at Canadiens 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 -115 moneyline favorite at BetMGM and the Montreal Canadiens are the -105 moneyline underdog at BetMGM.
The best over line is 5.5 -110 goals at BetMGM, which means you risk $110 to win $100 betting the over. The best under line is 5.5 -110 goals at BetMGM, and that means you risk $110 to win $100 betting the under.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are -1.5 +220 puck line favorites at BetMGM, while the Montreal Canadiens are +1.5 -275 puck line underdogs at BetMGM.
NHL Odds Example
|
Game |
 BetMGMBet |
|---|---|
Lightning
Canadiens
5/01/26 7:08pm EDT | -115-105 |
- Montreal Canadiens bettors risk $100 to win $95.24 at -105 odds. The implied probability for Montreal Canadiens is 51.22%.
- Tampa Bay Lightning bettors risk $100 to win $86.96 at -115 odds. The implied probability for Tampa Bay Lightning is 53.49%.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens Prop Bets
| BetMGM Bet |
|
|---|---|
Lightning
Canadiens
Both Teams Score 2+ Goals
5/01/26 7:08pm EDT | Yes -150No +110Bet |
Canadiens
Total Goals
TBL at MTL 5/01/26 7:08pm EDT | 2.5 o -1452.5 u +105Bet |
Lightning
Total Goals
TBL at MTL 5/01/26 7:08pm EDT | 3 o +1053 u -145Bet |
Brandon Hagel
To Score 3 Goals
TBL at MTL 5/01/26 7:08pm EDT | Yes +5500Bet |
| BetMGM | |
Brayden Point
To Score 3 Goals
TBL at MTL 5/01/26 7:08pm EDT | Yes +8000Bet |
Cole Caufield
To Score 3 Goals
TBL at MTL 5/01/26 7:08pm EDT | Yes +4500Bet |
Jake Guentzel
To Score 3 Goals
TBL at MTL 5/01/26 7:08pm EDT | Yes +8000Bet |
Juraj Slafkovsky
To Score 3 Goals
TBL at MTL 5/01/26 7:08pm EDT | Yes +6600Bet |
| BetMGM | |
Nikita Kucherov
To Score 3 Goals
TBL at MTL 5/01/26 7:08pm EDT | Yes +5500Bet |
Team Standings
| Team | GP | W | L | OTL | wPct | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Diff | Home | Away | SO | L10 | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x - Tampa Bay Lightning | 82 | 50 | 26 | 6 | 0.610 | 106 | 46 | 290 | 231 | +59.0 | 26-14-1 | 24-12-5 | 4-2 | 5-5-0 | L1 |
| x - Montreal Canadiens | 82 | 48 | 24 | 10 | 0.585 | 106 | 44 | 283 | 256 | +27.0 | 24-15-2 | 24-9-8 | 4-5 | 7-3-0 | L1 |
Tampa Bay Lightning & Montreal Canadiens 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.
Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup OddsNo Stanley Cup TM Tampa Bay Lightning YR: futures available
Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup Odds|
Team | BetMGM |
|---|---|
| Canadiens | +600 Bet |
Tampa Bay Lightning & Montreal Canadiens 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 Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens 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 Friday, May 1st, 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 Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens Game.
Navigate to the sportsbook's NHL page. Next, look for live or upcoming matchups. Select the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens 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 May 1, 2026 NHL Games
- Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins - 5/01/26 7:38pm EDT
- Vegas Golden Knights vs Utah Mammoth - 5/01/26 10:08pm EDT