New York Rangers vs Montreal Canadiens: Odds, Spread, and Total
The New York Rangers take on one of the NHL’s hottest clubs on Thursday. Cole Caufield and the visiting Montreal Canadiens carry an extended win streak into a 7 p.m….
The New York Rangers take on one of the NHL's hottest clubs on Thursday. Cole Caufield and the visiting Montreal Canadiens carry an extended win streak into a 7 p.m. EST faceoff at Madison Square Garden.
New York is pleased to have gotten back into the crosstown-rivalry win column in Tuesday's 4-1 triumph. The Rangers snapped a losing skid against the New Jersey Devils while spoiling the faint playoff hopes of Jack Hughes' team. Hughes' national teammate J.T. Miller scored his 16th goal for this year's Rangers, who've won three straight games over fellow struggling teams to begin a seven-game stint at home.
The Habs appear in MSG after winning a fast-paced contest 4-1 in Tampa. The Canadiens won their sixth in a row overall and improved to 3-0 on a four-game road trip behind stellar goaltending from the Czechian upstart Jakub Dobes. The snipers Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky combined for three goals and five points, although two goals were empty-netters. The counterattacking Habs were outshot 37-21.
Spread
- Canadiens -1.5 (+169)
- Rangers +1.5 (-188)
Money line
- Canadiens -143
- Rangers +133
Total
- Over 6.5 (+102)
- Under 6.5 (-114)
Note: The above data was collected on April 2, 2026, and may have changed since writing.
New York Rangers vs Montreal Canadiens Betting Trends
- The Canadiens have won six consecutive contests.
- The Rangers went 8-6 with two overtime losses in March.
- New York has gone 5-1 in the series since Jan. 2024.
New York Rangers vs Montreal Canadiens Injury Reports
New York Rangers
- Goaltender Jonathan Quick is questionable with an upper-body injury.
- Defenseman Urho Vaakanainen is out with an upper-body injury.
- Center Matt Rempe is out for the season with a thumb injury.
Montreal Canadiens
- Left winger Alexandre Texier is questionable with a lower-body injury.
- Right winger Patrik Laine is out with an abdominal injury.
- Defenseman Alexendre Carrier is out with an upper-body injury.
- Center Kirby Dach is out with an upper-body injury.
New York Rangers vs Montreal Canadiens Predictions and Picks
Team USA boss Bill Guerin did the Canadiens a favor by leaving Caufield off his 2026 Olympic roster. The Habs are the lone Canadian contender to have escaped the drama and distraction of North America's representatives returning to resume the NHL season. Caufield won't be booed by Canadian fans who saw other United States players win the gold. It wasn't Suzuki's line that fouled up Canada in the final Milan overtime. Montreal, which has won 11 times since Feb. 25, is fifth in the NHL with a +28 goal differential.
Montreal will be without one of its sturdiest defensemen, however, at least until the Stanley Cup playoffs. Alexandre Carrier's injury has a timetable of two to four weeks, leaving the lineup short of a talented puck-mover who has been “key on the defensive side of the ice” for Montreal, according to Bryan Logan of ClutchPoints. On the plus side, Carrier will need fresh legs to endure the playoff grind at 174 lbs.
Health is a rare characteristic in which the Rangers are ahead of the Canadians right now. New York has no power-play defensemen and zero wingers on its lonely injury scroll. New York's winning streak could make MSG come alive if the Rangers mount an early lead. But an eliminated team will surrender its gap-control against great counterattacks sooner or later, turning the Habs into a happenin' live bet.
