Montreal Canadiens vs St. Louis Blues Prediction, 1/3/2026 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Montreal Canadiens vs St. Louis Blues

Date: Saturday, January 3, 2026

Location: Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO

TV: Fanduel Sports Network Midwest

Odds/Point Spread: Canadiens (-160) Blues (+132)

The Montreal Canadiens (21-12-6) are on their way to Enterprise Center on Saturday where they will attempt to beat the St. Louis Blues (15-18-8). The odds on this game have Montreal at -160 while St. Louis is opening at +132. The over/under is 6.5.

The Montreal Canadiens were on the winning side of the scoreboard with a 3-2 victory against the Panthers in their previous game. Montreal recorded 8 minutes in the box in this matchup. They also had 4 attempts on the power play and scored 1 goal. The Canadiens were neither impressive or disappointing offensively in the win. In the game, they tallied a score on 3 out of the 29 shots they put on net.

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In regard to their goal scoring prowess, the Montreal Canadiens have tallied 128 goals (7th in the league) for the year and have given up 127. For the current campaign, they sit with 48 points and their points percentage sits at .615. Montreal comes into tonight with 112 power play opportunities and they have notched 28 goals out of those attempts, garnering them a percentage of 25.00%. At even strength, the Canadiens have surrendered 99 goals while notching 100 when they are on offense. Montreal has attempted 1,004 shots and holds a shot percentage of 12.8%. The Canadiens have seen 1,062 shots taken against them and hold a save percentage of .880. Montreal Canadiens opponents have totaled 126 power play opportunities (8th in the league) and have scored 28 goals in those attempts.

The player between the pipes for this game is Jakub Dobes. In his professional hockey career, Dobes has 20 quality starts and his percentage for quality starts is .588. His save percentage currently sits at .901 for his 895 minutes in the crease. Dobes has had 957 shots taken against him and has recorded 862 total saves. Opponents have scored 95 goals versus Dobes in his career and his goals against rate is 2.79. He has amassed a record of 19-9-6 and he has gotten the start in 34 games. Dobes has participated in 36 games during his NHL career.

In their last contest, St. Louis opposed the Avalanche in a game where the Blues went home in defeat by a final of 6-1. The Blues recorded 1 goal of the 13 shots on goal they tried. They had 3 chances on the power play in this game but weren't able to notch a goal.

This season, the St. Louis Blues have 101 goals, 38 points, as well as a points percentage of .463. They have permitted 141 goals to be scored by way of 117 goals at even strength and 24 goals while they had less men on the ice. The Blues have accumulated 82 goals at even strength and 19 goals (27th in hockey) while on the power play. They have a tally of 106 power play chances and they have accumulated a power play percentage of 17.92%. St. Louis has attempted 1,019 shots (26th in professional hockey) and has earned a shot percentage of 9.91%, while allowing the opposition 1,160 shots. They have recorded a penalty kill percentage of 77.14% on their opponents 105 power play opportunities, and their save percentage currently sits at 87.8%.

Across the ice you will find Joel Hofer in goal. He has recorded 2,165 stops out of the 2,390 shots attempted against him, giving him a rate of .906. Hofer is the owner of a career record of 43-30-7 and has played in 91 games. He has started in 82 games and has played 3,706 minutes. Hofer's quality start percentage sits at 57.3% and he has accumulated 47 quality starting assignments in his NHL career. His opposition is averaging 2.74 goals per contest and he has yielded 225 goals overall.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy's Pick: Take Montreal (-160)

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