Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Florida Panthers Prediction, NHL Odds
The Leafs head south after dropping a 7-2 decision in a Tuesday night road date with the New York Islanders, and have now lost five of their past 10 contests. But despite their current swoon, the Maple Leafs maintain a three-point lead over Tampa Bay in the divisional standings with two games in hand. The Panthers return home after closing out a two-game road trip with Tuesday’s 6-3 loss in Philadelphia, bur have won six of eight overall including five of six on home ice.
The Maple Leafs find themselves pegged as road underdogs for the third time in six away contests, listed as a fading +118 bet on the Thursday NHL odds. The Panthers have emerged as -142 favourites, and the total has held steady since opening at 7.0, with UNDER slightly favoured at -120.
Panthers vs. Maple Leafs NHL Betting Odds
Thursday night’s matchup at FLA Live Arena marks the second of four meetings between these division rivals this season, and the first of two head-to-head clashes over the next seven days. The Maple Leafs eked out a 5-4 victory when they hosted Florida back on January 17, ending a two-game slide in head-to-head action. Overall, the Panthers have taken eight of nine from the Leafs on home ice since 2016, with each of their past two home victories coming by just a single goal. These two clubs have combined to score at least eight total goals in six of their past eight clashes, fueling a steady 6-1-1 run for the OVER.
Florida Panthers
The Maple Leafs are coming off one of their shakiest performances of the season in Tuesday’s 7-2 loss to the Islanders. Toronto shooters struggled to find the mark while mustering just 27 shots. Sloppy puckhandling and poorly times turnovers also provided no help to besieged netminder Ilya Samsonov, who allowed six goals on just 29 shots in the loss. The Leafs’ sleepwalking through Tuesday’s defeat has to raise red flags for fans and sports bettors. The club has not taken the next step at either end of the ice since reshaping the lineup ahead of the recent NHL trade deadline. Toronto has now surrendered four goals per game over their past flour road dates, and have been susceptible to huge letdowns during a 5-4-1 overall run in which they have allowed at least four goals six times. With Samsonov’s wife expected to give birth any day now, Matt Murray is expected to get the call in net on Thursday. Murray stole a 5-4 shootout win over Ottawa on Saturday with a 48-save performance, but has been lit up for four goals in each of his past six appearances.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Panthers remain desperate for points as they get set for Thursday’s contest trailing the Pittsburgh penguins by one point in the race for the second and final wild card in the Eastern Conference. However, Florida has looked every bit a playoff team during its recent surge. The Panthers picked up a point in seven straight games prior to Tuesday’s loss to the Flyers, averaging 4.57 goals per game during an impressive 7-0-1 run. The club also deserved better than a 6-3 loss on Tuesday after outshooting the Flyers by a wide 44-24 margin. However, it was a tough night for netminder Alex Lyon, who surrendered five goals on just 23 shots including three markers over a two-minute span late in the second while receiving little defensive support. Despite Tuesday’s setback, the Panthers remain one of the NHL’s consistent teams over the past two months, avoiding consecutive defeats during a 13-6-1 run that started in late January. Matthew Tkachuk has been simply outstanding while leading the attack. With a goal on Tuesday, Tkachuk has now potted six markers and 14 points during a six-game points streak, and has racked up nine goals and 32 points in his past 17 home appearances.
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