Florida Panthers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Game 2 Best Bets

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers are set to play Game 2 of their best-of-seven series from Scotiabank Arena tonight.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

The Florida Panthers started this series off with a convincing 4-2 victory in Game 1, while Toronto will look to reply and even it up before heading on the road for Games 3 and 4. These offenses have quick strike ability, leaving the door open for a high-scoring matchup between these Atlantic division foes. The Maple Leafs are listed as home favorites for Game 2 on the moneyline at -192, while the Panthers are priced at +158. 

After a slow start in Game 1, both teams adjusted nicely, and there’s a lot to like about what we saw from these teams when they had the puck. Penalties continue to be a concern for the Panthers, though, and if they continue to head to the box at a high rate, the talent that the Maple Leafs have on their powerplay unit will eventually cash and make them pay. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup tonight, the visiting Panthers will continue riding Sergei Bobrovsky, while the Maple Leafs will do the same with Ilya Samsonov. The Panthers netminder has posted a 4-1 record, paired with a .901 save percentage, while Samsonov is sitting at 4-3, along with a .894 save percentage. Both goalies have been much better than those numbers represent, especially Bobrovsky of late, who’s turned back the clock and been a critical component of why they’re still alive. 

The Maple Leafs have done an excellent job of responding after losses in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, another reason why this squad is much different than the one that’s choked away leads in the past. Even though Bobrovsky has been strong, the Maple Leafs made him move a lot in Game 1 laterally, and they’ll eventually fill the net if they can continue doing that, which we expect tonight. As a result, targeting the Maple Leafs to win by multiple goals in Game 2 is the direction bettors should take. 

Best Bet: Maple Leafs Puck Line -1.5 (+120) 

Game 1 in this series saw six total goals scored, while when these teams met four times in the regular season, two games went over the total, and two went under. That means this series could be somewhat of a mixed bag in terms of the goal totals we get on a game-to-game basis. The total for tonight’s Game 2’s set at 6.5, with the over juiced up to -132, while the under is at +108. There’s certainly a solid case to be made that we see a much more offensive showing in this Game 2, and that’s exactly what we’re projecting to happen here, meaning we’re content to lay the juice with the over tonight. 

Best Bet: Over 6.5 (-132) 

During this 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, there’s been a lot to like about how the Toronto Maple Leafs star players up front have responded to adversity. Led by their captain John Tavares, he’s done an excellent job leading by example and scoring big goals, precisely what we expect of him moving forward in this series. Tavares has tallied four goals and three assists through seven postseason games this year. This is a new gear that Tavares has shown us, and he represents a big reason why the Maple Leafs are still alive, meaning taking him to score tonight at +166 has definite value. 

Best Prop: John Tavares to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+166)

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