NHL Best Bets: Maple Leafs vs. Panthers Game Picks

The Florida Panthers continue to battle for a playoff position as they host the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

It’s been a strange season for the Florida Panthers, who captured the Presidents’ Trophy last year but are now fighting for their playoff lives. The Maple Leafs haven’t played their best hockey lately, but they rarely go through long, rough stretches.

The Panthers are favorites on the moneyline at -130, while the Maple Leafs are +108. Entering this matchup, the Maple Leafs have posted a 5-4-1 record over their last ten games, while the Panthers are 7-2-1.

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Maple Leafs are expected to start Matt Murray, while the Panther should counter with Sergei Bobrovsky. The Maple Leafs’ netminder has a 13-7-2 record with a .905 save percentage, while Bobrovsky is 24-17-3 with a .904 save percentage. The goalie matchup is exceptionally tight, so giving a significant edge is hard. 

The Maple Leafs know they need to find more consistency down the stretch, especially from their star players. Toronto defeated the Cats 5-4 in January, so targeting the visitors has great value at +108.

Best Bet: Maple Leafs moneyline (+108) 

The total is set at 6.5, with the over priced at -160, while the under is +130. The Maple Leafs and Panthers sit inside the top ten in goals scored per game, with the most significant difference being that the Panthers also sit in the bottom third in goals allowed. Over the Maple Leafs’ last five games, they’ve seen eight or more goals scored in two, while the Panthers have seen that in three. With their earlier matchup seeing nine goals scored, look for another high-scoring affair and back the over 6.5. 

Best Bet: Over 6.5 (-160) 

There are a lot of high-end goal scorers on the Leafs. Auston Matthews, who’s an integral part of the team’s offense, needs to get going before the playoffs. It’s been a down year for Matthews after scoring 60 last season, only managing to tally 32 in 63 games this season. In a matchup where we expect many goals to be scored, targeting Matthews to find the back of the net has some value at +104. 

Best Prop: Auston Matthews to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+104) 

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