One of the best rivalries of the past decade writes its next chapter as the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Boston Bruins. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Maple Leafs-Bruins prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

The Maple Leafs come in at 5-3-1, sitting fifth in the Atlantic division. The Leafs had their worst game of the season on Tuesday, dropping a 4-1 decision to the Los Angeles Kings. Fans shouldn't look too much into the loss, as it was their first game back at home after a grueling five-game road trip. However, they have lost two games in a row, and the hockey market in Toronto doesn't take too kindly to a losing streak. Their expected starter coming into the season, Ilya Samsonov, seems to be losing his job to rookie Joseph Woll. As usual, there are a lot of question marks in Toronto, and facing their hated rivals will only add fuel to the fire.

The Bruins were expected to take an enormous step back this season. They were in a transition period with their two anchors, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, heading into retirement. The team has had those two centering their top lines for their entire run of success in the 2010s. A top-two of Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha didn't give Bruins fans much hope, but the emergence of 19-year-old Matt Poitras has tempered some of the concern. The team is at the top of the Eastern Conference again, with an 8-0-1 record to start the season.

Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NHL Odds: Maple Leafs-Bruins Odds

Toronto Maple Leafs: -115

Boston Bruins: -105

Over: 5.5 (-134)

Under: 5.5 (+110)

How to Watch Maple Leafs vs. Bruins

Time: 7:30 PM ET/ 4:30 PM PT

TV: NHLPP/ESPN+

Stream: FuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Maple Leafs Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Leafs get to face the Bruins as the team faces its first adversity of the season. Charlie McAvoy will be serving the first game of a four-game suspension. Matt Grzelcyk, Milan Lucic, and Jakub Lauko are on the injured reserve, making four players from the opening night lineup who will be sidelined for a few games. McAvoy and Grzelcyk being out of the lineup is the biggest issue for a team that relies heavily on their defensive play. The Bruins had to call up three defensemen from the American Hockey League, including one of their top prospects, Mason Lohrei, who will make his NHL debut in the top four alongside Brandon Carlo. Against any other team, this may not be an issue, but throwing Lohrei up against one of the league's top offenses in his debut may cause problems for the youngster from Ohio State.

Why The Bruins Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Leafs projected starting goaltender for tonight's game is Ilya Samsonov. Samsonov has a 2-1-1 record this season but struggled with a 3.99 goals-against-average and .841 save percentage. The Leafs have been able to combat Samsonov's struggles with their offensive firepower to help prop up his win/loss record. However, that may not be as easy against the Bruins. As outlined earlier, the Bruins defense is in question, with Lohrei coming into the lineup to replace McAvoy and Grzelcyk. The Bruins pride themselves on team defense, so this addition to the lineup may not be as enormous of an impact as some believe. Lohrei looked good in the preseason, so this may be the start of him earning a spot in the Bruins top-six for the rest of the season.

The Bruins may be the last team you want to try and beat with offense, as they lead the league with only 1.56 goals against per game. The next closest team is the New York Rangers, who allow only 2.0 goals per game. Last season's William M. Jennings Trophy co-winners, Linus Ullmark, and Jeremy Swayman, look well on their way to earning another trophy this season. They will have their work cut out for them tonight against the Leafs, but it's tough to bet against them.

Final Maple Leafs-Bruins Prediction & Pick

This matchup may have been close to a toss-up with the Bruins having a full lineup. The fact that you can get the Leafs at -104 odds against this depleted Bruins lineup gives considerable value. The Bruins' defensive play is hard to bet against, but they aren't close to full power. McAvoy and Grzelcyk have been their top pairing all season, and now Hampus Lindholm and Kevin Shattenkirk will fall into that role. Shattenkirk is a shell of his former self and better suited for his third-line role. Lindholm did well in McAvoy and Grzelcyk's absence last season, but this season, he is the only minus on their defense corps. It's hard to believe that they will have the ability to slow down Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

If the Bruins matchup that line against Carlo and Lohrei, the Lindholm/Shattenkirk pairing will still have to go head-to-head with William Nylander and John Tavares. It will take a heroic effort by either Ullmark, Swayman or the Bruins offense to keep the Bruins' point streak alive in this game. On that note, it may be worth a play on the over as well. The Bruins have scored three or more goals in every game this season, combined with everything above about their defense. Ilya Samsonov being in the net for the Leafs will help the case for a high-scoring game as well.

Final Maple Leafs-Bruins Prediction & Pick: Maple Leafs ML (-115) / Over 5.5 (-134)