Bookmakers set Sabres–Canadiens Game 3 odds as series sits 1-1
- Buffalo and Montreal reached Game 3 on Sunday, May 10, with the second-round series tied 1-1 after the Sabres won 4-2 and the Canadiens answered 5-1. - Sportsbooks leaned slightly toward Montreal at home, with books listing the Canadiens around -122 and Buffalo near +102, while the total sat at 5.5. - That near-pick’em pricing shows how little separates them now — and how much Game 3 could swing the rest of the series.
The betting market for Sabres-Canadiens Game 3 is basically saying one thing: this series has turned into a coin flip with a tiny home-ice nudge. Buffalo took Game 1, Montreal smashed back in Game 2, and now the series shifts to Bell Centre on Sunday, May 10. By Sunday morning, books were making the Canadiens a slight favorite rather than a clear one. ### Why are the odds so tight? Because the first two games pulled the market in opposite directions. Buffalo opened the round by beating Montreal 4-2, which looked like the Sabres’ speed and depth might control the matchup. Then Game 2 flipped the feel completely — Montreal won 5-1, scored twice in the first 4:27, and never really let Buffalo settle in. (nhl.com) ### What were books actually posting? The cleanest snapshot Sunday had Montreal around -122 on the moneyline and Buffalo around +102, with the total set at 5.5 goals. That is not a “Montreal should roll” number. It is a “Montreal gets a little respect for being at home, but not much more than that” number. Other previews framed the matchup the same way — close, low-total, and hard to separate. (nhl.com) ### Why does home ice matter here? Game 3 is in Montreal, not Buffalo, and that matters more in a series this even. The Canadiens went 24-15-2 at home in the regular season, while Buffalo was a strong 24-13-4 on the road, so neither side has a huge environment advantage. That is part of why the line stayed narrow instead of swinging hard toward Montreal. (docsports.com) ### What changed after Game 2? Montreal got the exact kind of bounce-back it needed. Alex Newhook scored twice, the Canadiens jumped ahead early, and the game also sharpened one concern on the Buffalo side — the Sabres’ top-end offense did not answer once Montreal grabbed control. NHL coverage after the game also pointed to Tage Thompson still searching for his best playoff form, which matters because this is the time of year stars are supposed to tilt a series. (sportsgambler.com) ### Is this really a pick’em? Not literally at every book, but close enough in spirit. A line in the -120 range is the market’s way of saying “slight favorite, not trusted favorite.” If Montreal were viewed as clearly better after splitting the first two, the number would be meaningfully steeper. Instead, the odds are pricing in a very real chance Buffalo walks into Bell Centre and takes back control. (nhl.com) ### What does the total tell us? The 5.5 total is a clue that books expect a tighter game than Montreal’s 5-1 win suggests. Playoff hockey totals at 5.5 usually point to a game where goaltending, special teams, and one or two mistakes decide everything. In other words — the market is not chasing the Game 2 scoreline. It is treating that result as information, but not as proof the matchup has broken open. (docsports.com) ### Why is Game 3 such a hinge point? Because 1-1 is the last truly neutral moment in a best-of-seven. The winner of Game 3 does not clinch anything, but the whole emotional geometry changes. One team gets to play from ahead. The other spends the next game trying not to fall into a 3-1 hole. In a series books opened as dead even to advance, that swing matters a lot. (docsports.com) ### Bottom line The odds are tight because the evidence is tight. Buffalo proved it could win this matchup. Montreal proved it could control it. So Game 3 is not just another playoff game — it is the first one where the market has to choose, and it only barely chose the Canadiens. (nhl.com) (dknetwork.draftkings.com)
