Canadiens vs. Jets Prediction, NHL Odds & Best Bets (10/25)

Fact checked at 8:57 AM ET, Oct 25, 2026

Odds as of 7:56 AM ET, Oct 25, 2026

The Heritage Classic puts the Canadiens and Jets outdoors at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg, with faceoff at 7:00 PM ET on TNT and truTV. It's a neutral-site game, and the Jets are the designated home team. Winnipeg is 4-3-3 and has lost four straight, each by a goal, in a week that ended with Connor Hellebuyck traded to New Jersey. Hellebuyck had been suspended after refusing to report to training camp, and Stuart Skinner has played in seven of Winnipeg's 10 games, so the change in net isn't new. Montreal is 5-3-2 but is missing captain Nick Suzuki, out two to four weeks, along with Ivan Demidov. Oliver Kapanen is expected to center Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky again, as he did in Friday's 4-1 win at Chicago.

Winnipeg opened as the moneyline favorite, and the market has since swung to Montreal: the consensus has the Canadiens at -119 and the Jets at +101, with the total at 5.5. Neither starting goalie is confirmed. Skinner is expected for Winnipeg, while reports are split between Jakub Dobeš and Jacob Fowler for Montreal. The forecast for the game window is clear and near freezing, with a northwest wind of 20 km/h gusting to 40 and no precipitation.

We expect a tight, low-event game in the cold. Winnipeg's shooting runs through Kyle Connor, and Montreal, without Suzuki, leans on its top line while the second line stays quiet. That's Connor Over 2.5 shots and Chris Kreider Under 1.5 shots.

Canadiens vs. Jets Predictions

• Pick #1: Kyle Connor Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-160)
• Pick #2: Chris Kreider Under 1.5 Shots on Goal (-145)

PICK #1: Kyle Connor Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-160)

Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss at Dallas was a good test. Winnipeg put only 19 shots on goal as a team, and Connor still had three of them.

He has gone over 2.5 in 9 of his 10 games: 3, 4, 2, 5, 3, 3, 4, 6, 5 and 9, newest first. That's 44 shots, and the only miss was a two-shot night against Carolina. He's on the top line with Mark Scheifele and Cole Perfetti, plays on the first power-play unit with Gabriel Vilardi, Scheifele, Perfetti and Neal Pionk, and hasn't logged less than 17:26 in any game, usually 20 minutes or more. Winnipeg's latest line combinations keep his line and power-play unit together.

Winnipeg has scored just 26 goals in 10 games, and Connor is its clearest threat, so the volume runs through him. His count doesn't depend on who starts in net for Montreal either. The -160 implies 61.5%, below his 9-of-10 rate.

Montreal is the harder matchup. The Canadiens have allowed 25.8 shots a game through 10 games, fewer than the 30 Winnipeg gives up, and outdoor ice with a gusting wind can slow the pace and close shooting lanes. At -160 there isn't much margin.

PICK #2: Chris Kreider Under 1.5 Shots on Goal (-145)

Kreider's ice time hit a season low of 11:19 in Friday's win at Chicago. Before that he had been between 13:50 and 17:21 every game. With Suzuki out, Montreal moved Kapanen up to center the top line instead of bumping Kreider's line, and the first power-play unit ran through Caufield, Slafkovsky, Kapanen, Noah Dobson and Lane Hutson. Kreider played left wing on the second line with Alex Newhook and Josh Anderson and worked the second power-play unit.

He's stayed under 1.5 shots in 8 of 10 games: 1, 1, 2, 0, 0, 2, 0, 1, 1 and 1, newest first. He hasn't topped two in any game, so this loses only on a night he matches his season high. He also hasn't had a point in seven straight games. At -145, the Under implies 59.2%.

Two shots beats it, and he's had two in two of his 10 games. If Montreal ends up chasing, or a long power play gives the second unit extra time, he could get there. Winnipeg has allowed 30 shots a game through 10 games.

21+ (18+ where permitted). Odds subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.