SportsLine model projects over on total goals for Hurricanes-Canadiens Game 3
The Carolina Hurricanes are -140 favourites against the Montreal Canadiens as the series shifts to Montreal on Monday night.
SportsLine’s projection model has released betting predictions for Game 3 of the 2026 NHL Eastern Conference finals, pitting the top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes against the third-seeded Montreal Canadiens. The model, which simulates every NHL game 10,000 times, projects an over on the total goals line of 5.5, with a combined goal projection of 5.9.
The Hurricanes, who finished the regular season with 113 points and a 53-22-7 record, are seeking their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since the 2005-06 season. They enter the contest coming off a 3-2 overtime victory on Saturday that tied the best-of-seven series at 1-1. The Canadiens, who finished with 106 points and a 48-24-10 record, are aiming for their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since the 2020-21 season.
Carolina is listed as the -140 favourite in the latest odds from the SportsLine consensus, requiring a $140 risk to win $100. The match is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The projection model entered the second week of the conference final round with a +668 return on top-rated money-line NHL picks.
Historical trends cited by the model support the over projection. The over has hit in four of the past six head-to-head matchups between the teams. Additionally, the over has occurred in five of the past 10 Montreal games and 13 of the last 21 Carolina games against opponents with a win rate over 55%.
Individual player projections include Seth Jarvis for Carolina, who is projected to score 0.39 goals and 0.42 assists, and goaltender Frederik Andersen, who is expected to make 21.6 saves and allow 2.78 goals. Montreal’s Cole Caufield is projected to score 0.51 goals and 0.41 assists, while goaltender Jakub Dobes is projected to make 25.0 saves and allow 2.78 goals.
