Canadiens vs Bruins odds and preview (Nov 12)

The first Habs and Bruins game of the season lands on a Thursday night at TD Garden, and it comes with first place in the Atlantic Division on the line. Boston sits on 27 points, Montreal on 26, and both teams have played 18 games. The Canadiens have taken at least a point in 11 straight (8-0-3); the Bruins have won four in a row.

Thursday night at a glance

How the Habs got here

Montreal is 11-3-4, second in the Atlantic and third in the East, with 62 goals for and 55 against. Its last five games, oldest first:

1. October 31, home to Pittsburgh: won 5-4
2. November 3, home to Winnipeg: lost 5-4 in overtime
3. November 5, home to Utah: won 5-4 in overtime
4. November 7, at Toronto: won 4-2
5. November 10, home to Minnesota: lost 2-1 in overtime

Four of those five were one-goal games and three needed overtime. Tuesday's loss to the Wild was the first time in the stretch that Montreal scored fewer than four. On the road this season the Canadiens are 6-1-1, a better mark than their 5-2-3 at the Bell Centre.

The Bruins coming in

Boston is 13-4-1, first in the Atlantic and second in the East. The number that stands out is 41 goals allowed in 18 games. Its last five, oldest first:

1. October 29, at St. Louis: lost 4-1
2. October 31, home to Chicago: won 5-4 in overtime
3. November 2, home to Vegas: won 3-2 in a shootout
4. November 5, at Pittsburgh: won 6-2
5. November 8, home to Florida: won 4-1

The Bruins are 8-1-0 at TD Garden and have not played since Sunday. Montreal played Tuesday night, so Boston has the rest edge.

Lineup and goalie news

Scratches show up in the NHL game centre before puck drop. Injury updates and the starting goalies come through each club's official channels, usually after the morning skate on game day. Wait for both starters before betting saves or other goalie props.

Reading the betting board

Prices move through the day, so check the current line at your sportsbook. Here is how the main markets apply to this one.

• Moneyline. Pick the winner. Most books include overtime and the shootout, which matters with a Habs team that has gone past 60 minutes three times in its last five.
• Puck line. The hockey spread, set at 1.5 goals. A team at -1.5 needs to win by two. A team at +1.5 cashes if it wins or loses by one, and four of Montreal's last five would have landed inside that margin.
• Total. Over or under a goal line, usually 5.5 or 6.5. Montreal's 62 goals against a Boston defence that has allowed 41 is the tension the total is pricing.
• Player props. Shots, points and saves on individual players. Only bet these once lineups and goalies are confirmed.

Before any bet, put both moneyline prices into our no-vig calculator to see the probability the market gives each side once the margin is removed. No outcome is guaranteed, so bet only what you planned to spend.

For how the Canadiens tend to trade in the betting market across a season, read our Habs betting guide.

Sources: NHL.com official schedule, standings and club schedules, as of November 11, 2026.