Sabres vs. Canadiens odds, line: 2026 NHL picks for second-round matchup from proven model

A second-round series in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs gets underway on Wednesday as the Buffalo Sabres host the Montreal Canadiens. Buffalo (50-23-9) defeated Boston in six games in the first round for its first series win since 2007. Montreal (48-24-10) defeated Tampa in seven games in a series in which the teams alternated wins and losses throughout. The Sabres and Canadiens split their four regular-season matchups.

The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. The latest Canadiens vs. Sabres odds have Buffalo as the -130 favorite on the money line (risk $130 to win $100). The over/under for total goals scored is 5.5. 

Before making any Sabres vs. Canadiens picks, or predictions, you NEED to see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NHL game 10,000 times. The model entered the second full week of the 2026 NHL playoffs with a a +668 return on top-rated money-line NHL picks. Anyone following could have seen strong returns!

Now, it has simulated Canadiens vs. Sabres 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is going Over on the goal total, and it says one side of the money line has ALL the value!

So who wins Sabres vs. Canadiens, and which pick has ALL the value? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side you should be all over, all from the model that has a +668 return on top-rated puck-line picks!