Pittsburgh Penguins vs Montreal Canadiens Picks and Predictions for Saturday October 31 2026
Pittsburgh already beat Montreal once this season. Six goals to five, in overtime. If you watched that game, you probably remember the goals more than anything else.
But look at what’s happened since.
Montreal has won four straight. Pittsburgh has been struggling away from home, and the Penguins are missing some important players. I know Sidney Crosby can still make a game interesting all by himself, but I’m not backing Pittsburgh on the road just because it won the first meeting.
The Penguins visit Bell Centre in Montreal on Saturday, October 31, with puck drop at 7 PM ET. Montreal is around -138 on the moneyline, and the total is 6.5 goals. I’m taking the Canadiens and leaning toward the Under. Get ready for all of the NHL action with our free NHL picks.
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Pittsburgh Penguins Haven’t Been Good Away From Home
Pittsburgh is 5-6-2, including 1-5-1 on the road. That’s the number I keep coming back to. The Penguins have been competitive at home, but traveling hasn’t been kind to them. They’ve won only three of their last ten games and have been allowing 3.3 goals during that stretch.
The offense hasn’t done enough to make up for it. Pittsburgh has averaged 2.7 goals over its last ten, and that’s a tough number when the defense is allowing more than three. The Penguins can still have a good night offensively, as that 6-5 win over Montreal showed. But I don’t want to bet on them needing four or five goals just to stay in a game.
Nicholas Robertson has six goals this season, giving Pittsburgh one of its more productive finishers. Evgeni Malkin has four goals and three assists over his last ten appearances, although he’s dealing with an illness. Bryan Rust, Justin Brazeau, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Ryan Graves are among the injured players. That’s a lot of missing help. Pittsburgh needs its remaining veterans to carry more of the load, and I don’t love that situation against a Montreal team playing well.
Montreal Canadiens Have Been Winning With Defense
Montreal is 8-3-2, including 3-2-1 at home. The Canadiens have won four straight, and three of those victories were especially impressive defensively. They beat Chicago 4-1, Winnipeg 2-1 and St. Louis 2-0. That’s three goals allowed in three games. Pretty good.
The Canadiens have allowed 38 goals in 13 games, compared with 41 scored. Their recent form is even better. Montreal has given up only 2.2 goals per game over its last ten. That’s why I like this matchup. Pittsburgh has been struggling to score consistently, and Montreal has been making opponents work for everything. The Canadiens don’t need to score five to win this time.
Cole Caufield has eight goals and four assists, and he’s been the player Montreal can count on to finish chances. Nick Suzuki is out with an upper-body injury, while Ivan Demidov and Sam Montembeault are also sidelined. Mike Matheson is dealing with a lower-body problem. Those are important absences, especially Suzuki. But Montreal has kept winning anyway. The Canadiens have been getting enough offense and strong enough goaltending to make up for the missing players.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Montreal Canadiens Picks and Predictions
Montreal Canadiens Moneyline (-138)
I’m taking Montreal. Pittsburgh won the first meeting, and Crosby is always capable of changing a game. But the Penguins are 1-5-1 away from home, and Montreal has won four straight. The Canadiens have also been much better defensively lately. I don’t need Montreal to dominate. I just need the Canadiens to keep Pittsburgh from getting comfortable in the offensive zone. With the way these teams have been playing, I trust Montreal more.
Under 6.5 Goals (+108)
I’ll take Under 6.5. The first meeting finished 6-5, so I understand why somebody would want the Over. But that was earlier in the season, and Montreal has been defending much better lately. The Canadiens allowed only three goals across their last three victories, while Pittsburgh has been averaging 2.7 goals over its last ten. The risk is Montreal’s injuries creating problems in goal or on defense. Still, I see something closer to a 3-2 Canadiens win than another 11-goal game.
Final Picks: Montreal Canadiens Moneyline (-138) and Under 6.5 Goals (+108)
Preview prepared October 30, 2026.
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