Carolina Hurricanes host the Montreal Canadiens for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference finals on Monday night at 8 p.m. ET. The series sits tied at 1-1 after Carolina edged Montreal 3-2 in overtime on Saturday. SportsLine's model, which has returned +668 on top-rated NHL picks this postseason, simulated the matchup 10,000 times and is backing the Over on 5.5 total goals.

The model projects 5.9 combined goals, with Seth Jarvis scoring .39 goals and .42 assists for Carolina and Cole Caufield putting up .51 goals and .41 assists for Montreal. Goaltenders Frederik Andersen and Jakub Dobes are each projected to allow 2.78 goals. The Over has hit in four of the past six head-to-head matchups, making it the value play according to the model.

Hurricanes enter as -140 favorites, a slim but meaningful edge. Carolina's 113-point regular season and Montreal's 106 points reflect two of the league's best teams, each chasing a Stanley Cup Final appearance for the first time in years. Bettors following the SportsLine model's NHL picks have seen strong returns this round.