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The Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Montreal Canadiens as both teams hit the ice for the first game of the season! Below we will continue our NHL odds series with a Maple Leafs-Canadiens prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
Here are the NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Maple Leafs-Canadiens Odds
Toronto Maple Leafs: -1.5 (+140)
Moneyline: -176
Montreal Canadiens: +1.5 (-170)
Moneyline: +146
Over: 6.5 (-115)
Under: 6.5 (-105)
How To Watch Maple Leafs-Canadiens
Time: 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT
TV: TSN Direct, Sportsnet+
*All NHL games will be streamed on ESPN+ in the United States
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Maple Leafs Could Cover the Spread/Win
The reason the Maple Leafs can win this game is simple. Auston Matthews. Matthews is one of the best players in the NHL, and he proves it every time he laces up his skates. He scored 69 goals last season, and assisted on 38 more. His 69 goals were the most in the NHL last year. With that, Matthews was able to score four goals against the Canadiens last season. If he is at his best in this game, the Maple Leafs will win.
It is not just Matthews that can do damage, though. William Nylander, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and Morgan Rielly all return to the ice for the Maple Leafs. All four of those players were able to record at least 58 points in the 2023/24 NHL season. Toronto has Matthews to lean on, but these four players can pick up any slack on the offensive side of the ice.
Joseph Woll is expected to be the starter in net for Toronto in this game. Ilya Samsonov is not on the Vegas Golden Knights, so it seems to be Woll's starting spot to lose this year. Last season, Woll was 12-11-1, but he allowed less than three goals per game. His save percentage was above .900, as well. Losing Samsonov hurts, but Woll is a very good replacement, and he should shine in this game.
Why the Canadiens Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Canadiens need to find a way to slow down the dangerous Maple Leafs attack. Toronto was second in the NHL in scoring last season, so Montreal has their work cut out for them. Toronto can be expected to score, so Montreal just has to match it. Getting the puck to the middle, and putting shots on net is going to be key in this game. Montreal had a 10.2 shot percentage last season, which is not bad. If they can put pucks on net, they should be able to light the lamp once or twice.
Nick Suzuki is the player to keep an eye on here. He is the best player on the Canadiens, and led the team with 33 goals. He also recorded 44 assists, which helped him lead the team with 77 points. He is one of the better centers in the NHL, and he needs to show why in this game. If Suzuki can have a good game, the rest of the team around him will play well. Cole Caufield, Mike Matheson, and former No. 1 overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky all return, so the Canadiens should be better than last season.
Sam Montembeault should be the starter in net for this game. He allowed 3.14 goals per game last season for Montreal, and his save percentage was over .900. He needs to be at his best in this game. The Maple Leafs are going to fire shots at him, so Montembeault has to be able to save a good amount of them. Two to three goals might be okay, but anything more than that makes it very hard for Montreal to win.
Final Maple Leafs-Canadiens Prediction & Pick
The Maple Leafs are just the more talented team. They are going to be a top scoring team again this season, and it will start Wednesday night. I will take the Maple Leafs to win.
Final Maple Leafs-Canadiens Prediction & Pick: Maple Leafs ML (-176)
