The two best words in professional sports: Game Seven. And there’s an exciting one taking place on Sunday, May 3, between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning. Winning at home has been tough this series for both sides, with Tampa Bay recently staving off elimination in game six with a 1-0 overtime victory at Bell Centre.
Now, the series shifts again to Benchmark International Arena in Tampa Bay, Florida. The highly anticipated Game 7 between the Canadiens and Lightning is set for 6:00 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on HBO Max, TNT, and TruTV. Let’s get into some of the odds for this win-or-go-home NHL playoff game.
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Canadiens vs. Lightning Odds
GettyTAMPA, FL – APRIL 29: Kirby Dach #77 of the Montréal Canadiens celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second period of Game Five of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Benchmark International Arena on April 29, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
No team in this series has won consecutive games to this point, and all six games have been decided by one goal to this point, with the four games before game six all ended in a 3-2 score.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook, and are subject to change:
Moneyline: Tampa Bay Lightning; -170 ($170 bet wins $100), Canadiens; +142 ($100 bet wins $142)
Puck Line: Lightning -1.5 (+164), Canadiens +1.5 (-198)
Total goals (5.5) Over 5.5 (+142), Under 5.5 (-170)
*There have not been more than five goals scored in the last five games of this series. Montreal has also covered its puck line of +1.5 in each of the last five contests. Those two pieces of information show how tightly contested this series has been.
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Prediction Time!!!
GettyMONTREAL, CANADA – APRIL 24: Kirby Dach #77 of the Montréal Canadiens celebrates his goal with teammates Arber Xhekaj #72 and Alexandre Texier #85 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second period of Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on April 24, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
Taking a look at these betting lines, I know staying off the goals scored market is probably a wise decision. Although it might be an easy read with all the games going under five goals scored lately, Game Seven’s can usually be unpredictable in that sense.
Instead, I’ll predict that the Tampa Bay Lightning take this Game Seven victory and move on to face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round of the NHL playoffs. Andrei Vasilevskiy put on a heroic performance in game 6, and the Canadiens’ offensive attack went cold.
This could be another game that finishes 1-0, perhaps in overtime as well.
Another good bet is the Canadiens to cover their puck line of +1.5, because, as noted, they have covered that line in all six games this series.
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Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Game Seven Betting Preview: Odds and Predictions