Nashville Predators vs Montreal Canadiens Picks and Predictions for Thursday October 8 2026
The Nashville Predators visit the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, on Thursday, October 8, 2026. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET. Nashville has already experienced both sides of a low-scoring game early this season, while Montreal has shown considerably more volatility. Be sure to check out our free NHL picks for more NHL predictions throughout the season.
Nashville Has Settled Down
Nashville’s final preseason results weren’t encouraging, and the Predators opened the regular season with a 3-1 loss to Minnesota. They responded well, however, grinding out a 2-1 victory over Dallas.
That result is much closer to the type of hockey Nashville needs to play. The Predators aren’t built to spend every night trading chances and hoping to win 6-5. Keeping games controlled gives them a much better opportunity to turn their defensive structure into points.
Montreal can make that difficult because the Canadiens have already shown an ability to create offense quickly. Nashville needs to avoid letting Thursday become a transition-heavy game.
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Montreal Has Been Much More Volatile
Montreal opened the season by beating Toronto 3-2 before playing a wild 6-5 overtime game against Pittsburgh. The Canadiens erased a four-goal deficit in that matchup and scored twice in the final 68 seconds to force overtime before eventually losing.
That tells us something about Montreal beyond the final result. This team has enough offensive ability to change a game quickly, but the Canadiens can also give opponents opportunities at the other end.
Home ice gives Montreal an edge Thursday, but Nashville’s ability to slow games down could frustrate the Canadiens if they aren’t able to establish their preferred pace early.
Nashville Predators vs Montreal Canadiens Picks and Predictions
Pick: Montreal Canadiens Moneyline
I’m taking Montreal at home. Nashville deserves credit for responding with a 2-1 win after its opening loss, but Montreal has shown more offensive upside through its first two games. The Canadiens have already scored eight goals and demonstrated that even a large deficit doesn’t necessarily take them out of a game. At Bell Centre, I’ll give Montreal the edge.
Pick: Under 6.5 Goals
The Under 6.5 is the total pick despite Montreal’s wild game against Pittsburgh. Nashville’s first two regular-season games have produced only four and three combined goals, and the Predators have a much better chance Thursday if they can drag Montreal into that type of game. Six goals still keeps us below the number, providing useful breathing room.
Final Picks: Montreal Canadiens Moneyline and Under 6.5 Goals
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