Canadiens vs Maple Leafs Prediction, Odds & Picks (Oct. 11): Nylander Takes Charge

Hockey fans across the globe are still in euphoria after the 2023-24 NHL season finally kicked off on Tuesday. The action continues on Wednesday with another exciting slate, featuring a huge rivalry matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Canadiens didn’t exactly find success last season, going 31-45-6 while finishing at the bottom of the Atlantic Division for the second straight campaign. Meanwhile, a 50-21-11 record saw the Maple Leafs qualify for their seventh straight postseason, only to lose to the Florida Panthers, 4-1, in the second round.

Can Montreal open the 2023-24 campaign with a massive upset win? Or will Toronto cement itself as the team to beat in the Atlantic?

Your friends at Betting News have your Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs betting needs covered tonight. Here’s a look at the latest NHL odds, an expert prediction, and the best bets to make for this classic rivalry matchup.

Canadiens vs Maple Leafs Tonight (Oct. 11)

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Montreal Canadiens (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Away) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Home)
• Venue & Location: Scotiabank Arena (Toronto, ON)
• Date: Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023
• Game Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
• Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs TV Info: ESPN+, NHL Power Play, SportsNet

Canadiens vs Maple Leafs Odds

Game odds courtesy of BetOnline as of Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 10:05 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Montreal Canadiens +1.5 (-105)
• Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 (-115)

Over/Under

• Over 6.5 Goals (-122)
• Under 6.5 Goals (+106)

Moneyline

• Montreal Canadiens +246
• Toronto Maple Leafs -280

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Now, let’s head back to the ice…

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Canadiens vs Maple Leafs Betting Trends

• Montreal is 1-6 straight up in its last seven road games.
• Toronto is 2-5 straight up in its last seven games against the Atlantic Division.
• The total has hit the Under in four of Montreal’s last five games played on Wednesday.
• The total has hit the Under in each of Toronto’s last five Eastern Conference matchups.
• The total has hit the Under in seven of the last 10 Montreal-Toronto matchups.

Canadiens vs Maple Leafs Prediction

Tonight marks the first of three Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs matchups for the 2023-24 NHL season. The two historic rivals collided four times last year, resulting in each team winning two games.

Having said that, both of Montreal’s wins came by one-goal margin with one of those victories coming in overtime. Meanwhile, Toronto earned its two victories by a combined score of 12-2 with each of those wins occurring at Scotiabank Arena.

In fact, the Leafs are 13-3-2 in their last 18 home games against the Canadiens dating back to the 2017-18 campaign. Toronto has also beaten Montreal in four straight home matchups, outscoring the Habs 17-5 across that span.

Chances are that the Canadiens’ struggles will continue tonight. They’re, once again, projected to be one of the NHL’s worst teams, sitting in a five-way tie for the worst Stanley Cup odds (+15000) on BetOnline.

For reference, the Maple Leafs sit at +950 — tied with the New Jersey Devils for the fourth-best odds.

The Canadiens also lack the high-end talent that the Maple Leafs are rostering. Toronto had four players who recorded at least 30 goals and 80 points last season, whereas Montreal didn’t have anyone hit the 30-goal mark while Nick Suzuki was the only player on the team with more than 38 points (66).

The special teams advantage also goes in the Leafs’ favor. They finished the 2022-23 campaign with a 26.0% power-play percentage (No. 2) and 81.9% penalty-kill rate (No. 12).

The Canadiens, meanwhile, finished fourth-worst in both categories with percentages of 16.0% and 72.7%, respectively.

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Keeping the above in mind, I’m taking the Maple Leafs to open the season with a victory. The likes of Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner, William Nylander, etc. will be too much for the Canadiens to handle — especially with their lack of recent success at Scotiabank Arena.

After beating Montreal by an average of five goals in two home games last season, don’t be surprised if Toronto wins by a multi-goal margin.

Prediction: Maple Leafs 5, Canadiens 2

Bet: Maple Leafs +1.5 (-115 on BetOnline)

Canadiens vs Maple Leafs Player Prop

As far as a Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs player prop bet goes, I’m loving a William Nylander scoring at least one goal tonight.

For starters, the dynamic Swedish winger is coming off his first-ever 40-goal campaign, cementing his reputation as a scoring threat. He’s also racked up 15 goals in his last 25 games against the Canadiens, which includes goals in three of four meetings last year.

Having scored at least one goal in 10 of his last 14 home games against Montreal, Nylander is a great candidate to find the back of the twine on Wednesday.

Bet: William Nylander 1+ Goal (+110 on BetOnline)

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