Canadiens vs. Panthers prediction, odds, pick – 3/30/2025
03/29/2025 10:11 PM
The Montreal Canadiens will continue their Southeastern road trip with a showdown with the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. It will be a possible playoff preview as we continue our NHL odds series and make a Canadiens-Panthers prediction and pick.
The Panthers lead the head-to-head series 61-50. Furthermore, the Cats are 7-3 in the past 10 games against the Habs, including 2-1 in the past three games at Amerant Bank Arena. But the Canadiens have defeated the Panthers twice this season, including a 4-0 shutout at Amerant Bank Arena.
Here are the Canadiens-Panthers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Canadiens-Panthers Odds
Montreal Canadiens: +1.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +220
Florida Panthers: -1.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -275
Over: 5.5 (-124)
Under: 5.5 (+102)
How To Watch Canadiens vs Panthers
Time: 1 PM ET/10 AM PT
TV: ESPN+ and Scripps
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Canadiens Will Cover the Spread/Win
The Habs are in the thick of the playoff race and doing everything they can to get the edge. Unfortunately, they fell to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, and fell into a tie with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final wildcard spot, with the Jackets holding the tiebreaker advantage. Thus, the Habs need to bounce back and start getting more points as 10 games remain in the season. The Canadiens hope to replicate what they did in their last game against the Hurricanes just two weeks ago at the Bell Centre.
The Habs started fast in that contest, getting first-period goals from Patrik Laine and Cole Caufield. Then, they allowed a goal to Mackie Samoskevich as the Panthers cut the deficit to 2-1. But the Habs put it away in the third period when Christian Dvorak finished things off with a goal to cement the win.
The Canadiens only needed 15 shots. Somehow, they won this game while just winning 45 percent of the faceoffs. The Habs also went 1 for 3 on the powerplay.
Sam Montembeault made 21 saves. Also, the defense in front of him killed both penalties. The blue line also dealt out 21 hits and blocked 24 shots to preserve the win. But the best thing this team did was shut down the top line. Amazingly, they held Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart scoreless. Now, they will attempt to do it again while also dealing with Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett.
The Canadiens will cover the spread if the offense can continue to convert on their chances. Then, the defense must continue to limit the Panthers’ chances and not give them good scoring opportunities.
Why the Panthers Will Cover the Spread/Win
The Panthers are a Stanley Cup-contending team after winning it last season. However, they have, for whatever reason, struggled against the Habs this season. Getting shut out 4-0 at home is inexcusable. Then, losing 3-1 to them two weeks ago showed a weakness that no one really saw coming. While many believe the Panthers will win the Stanley Cup again, they still have some issues to sort out. Notably, their offense has been mediocre recently, barely escaping the Utah Hockey Club with a 2-1 win in overtime. Not having Matthew Tkachuk out has hurt them. However, there is some hope.
Marchand made his Florida debut against the Utah Hockey Club and provided the pass that led to Sam Bennett’s game-winning goal. Now, he hopes to provide more of a spark as he slides into the second line with Bennett. But the Cats really need Reinhart and Barkov to be more consistent. While Barkov had a point on the ledger against Utah, Reinhart was held scoreless. Neither has scored against the Canadiens this season.
Sergei Bobrovsky played awful in his last outing against the Habs, allowing three goals on just 15 shots. Ultimately, the defense leveled 35 hits in front of him and blocked 14 shots. Yet, Bobrovsky was not sharp and will need to do better.
The Panthers will cover the spread if their top two lines can create some better scoring chances and keep the puck away from the Canadiens. Then, they must limit the good scoring chances for the Habs.
Final Canadiens-Panthers Prediction & Pick
The Canadiens are 41-31 against the spread, while the Panthers are 33-39. Additionally, the Habs are 21-16 against the spread on the road, while the Cats are 17- 19 against the spread at home. The Canadiens are 37-32-3 against the over/under, while the Panthers are 34-38 against the over/under.
The Canadiens have had the Panthers’ number this season. However, I think adding Marchand will help, as he has a game under his ledger now. I think the Panthers will find their footing and put some pucks in the back of the net to separate themselves from the Canadiens. Expect the Panthers to cover the spread this time around.
Final Canadiens-Panthers Prediction & Pick: Florida Panthers: -1.5 (-110)
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