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The two top teams in the Atlantic Division face off as the Toronto Maple Leafs face the Florida Panthers. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Maple Leafs-Panthers prediction and pick.
The Maple Leafs come into the game sitting at 13-6-2 on the year, good for first place in the Atlantic Division. They have also won seven of their last eight games overall. Last time out, the Maple Leafs faced the Utah Hockey Club. Utah took the 1-0 lead on a power play goal in the first period. Still, in the second, the Maple Leafs would score three goals, with two from Mitch Marner, to take the lead. Utah would score a goal in the third, but Toronto won the game 3-2.
Meanwhile, the Panthers are 12-9-1 on the year, sitting in second in the Atlantic division. Still, they have just one win in their last seven games. In their last game, they faced the Washington Capitals. The Panthers took the 1-0 lead on a Niko Mikkola goal in the first period, but the Capitals would tie it up. After a scoreless second, the Capitals would add three goals in the third, with two on the empty net to win the game 4-2.
Here are the Maple Leafs-Panthers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Maple Leafs-Panthers Odds
Toronto Maple Leafs: +1.5 (-230)
Moneyline: +112
Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+184)
Moneyline: -134
Over: 6.5 (+100)
Under: 6.5 (-122)
How To Watch Maple Leafs vs Panthers
Time: 7:30 PM ET/ 4:30 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Maple Leafs Could Cover the Spread/Win
The top line is now led by John Tavares with Bobby McMann and Mitch Marner. Marner leads the team in points, scoring eight goals and adding 20 assists, good for 28 points. Three goals and nine assists have been added on the power play. Tavares has also been solid with nine goals and 11 assists. He has three power-play goals this year. Finally, McMann has six goals on the year with one assist.
The big news for the Maple Leafs is the potential return of Auston Matthews. Matthews has five goals and six assists in 13 games before going down with an injury. Meanwhile, William Nylander has been great this year and would join Matthews on the second line. He leads the team with 14 goals while adding ten assists on the year. Further, Matthew Kines has eight goals and four assists. The Maple Leafs also get support from the blue line. Morgan Rielly has four goals and nine assists, while Oliver Efman-Larsson has a goal and seven assists this year.
Anthony Stolarz is expected to be in net for the Maple Leafs in this one. He is 7-3-2 on the year with a 2.18 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. He is fourth in the NHL in goals-against average and tied for second in save percentage. He stopped 27 of 30 shots last time out, in an overtime win.
Why the Panthers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Panthers bring back their top guys from last year's Cup team. Sam Reinhart comes back to lead the first line. Last year he led the team with 57 goals while adding 37 assists, good for 94 total points. Reinhart has been great this year, with 16 goals and 15 assists on the season. He has five goals on the power play and three shorthanded. He is joined on the top line by Aleksander Barkov and Evan Rodriguez. Barkov has played just 14 games this year, coming away with four goals and 15 assists. Meanwhile, Rodrigues has five goals and five assists this year.
The second line features Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, and Matthew Tkachuk. Bennett has continued to play well this year. He has nine goals and ten assists this year. Meanwhile, Tkachuk has five goals and ten assists on the year, while Verhaeghe has five goals and ten assists on the year. The Panthers also get production from the blue line. Gustav Forsling has three goals and eight assists on the year, while Aaron Ekbald has nine assists on the year.
Sergei Bobrovsky is expected in goal for the Panthers. He is 9-5-1 on the year with a 3.19 goals-against average and a .885 save percentage. He has struggled as of late. Last time out, he gave up six goals on 24 shots. Further, he has lost three of four games, and been below .845 in save percentage in three of four games.
Final Maple Leafs-Panthers Prediction & Pick
The Maple Leafs are scoring just 3.05 goals per game but should see that tick up as soon as Auston Matthews is fully back in the lineup. Still, this team has been based on defense this year, as they are second in the NHL in goals against per game. The odds in this NHL game favor the Panthers, but they have been struggling and will struggle with the Maple Leafs' defense in this one.
Final Maple Leafs-Panthers Prediction & Pick: Maple Leafs ML (+125)
