Panthers vs Maple Leafs Game 1 Prediction & Best Bets: Florida’s Bad Luck in Toronto Continues

The second round of the 2022-23 Stanley Cup Playoffs kicks off on Tuesday, May 2, featuring Game 1 of the series between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Atlantic Division rivals are more than familiar with each other. With a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals on the line, it’ll be interesting to see which side of the Panthers vs Maple Leafs series starts on the right foot.

3 Keys to Success for Maple Leafs in Second Round vs. Panthers https://t.co/WYCjYK8Lv5

— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) May 2, 2023

The Maple Leafs dealt with a couple of scares in the opening round, but ultimately advanced past the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. Meanwhile, things looked grim for the Panthers when they were down 3-1 to the Boston Bruins, however, Paul Maurice’s team battled back from the intimidating deficit to send the Bruins packing in seven.

Can the Maple Leafs continue defying their haters by winning Game 1? Or will the Panthers shock the hockey world once again with an upset victory?

Here’s a look at everything you know heading into Game 1 of the Panthers vs Maple Leafs series, from the latest betting odds to a prediction with the best betting recommendation.

Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs Game 5 Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Florida Panthers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (Series tied 1-1)
• Venue & Location: Scotiabank Arena (Toronto, Ontario)
• Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2023
• Game Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
• Panthers vs Maple Leafs TV Info: ESPN, CBC, SportsNet

Panthers vs Maple Leafs Game 1 Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Tuesday, May 2 at 8:38 p.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Florida Panthers +1.5 (-164)
• Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 (+136)

Over/Under

• Over 6.5 Goals (-122)
• Under 6.5 Goals (+100)

Moneyline

• Florida Panthers +140
• Toronto Maple Leafs -170

Panthers vs Maple Leafs Betting Trends

• Florida is 7-1 straight up in its last eight road games.
• Toronto is 9-2 straight up in its last 11 home games against Florida.
• The total has hit the over in four of Florida’s last five games against the Atlantic Division.
• The total has hit the over in five of Toronto’s last six games played in May.
• The total has hit the over in 10 of the last 15 Florida-Toronto matchups.

Panthers vs Maple Leafs Game 1 Preview

The Panthers and Maple Leafs are set for a second-round playoff series after colliding four times during the regular season. Toronto ended up winning three of those meetings, however, it’s worth noting that two of those victories were decided in overtime, meaning things could’ve easily gone Florida’s way as well.

Nevertheless, it’ll be interesting to see which version of the Panthers we’ll see in Game 1. On one hand, they’ve been fantastic on the road, winning seven of their last eight away games while outscoring opponents 34-18 along the way. They also won all three games played at TD Garden last round.

On the other hand, the Panthers have been horrible at Scotiabank Arena, dropping nine of their last 11 trips to Toronto. Things won’t get easier as the Maple Leafs are an impressive 28-16 straight up at home this season. For reference, Florida is 22-23 SU on the road and 11-14 SU as underdogs this season.

The Panthers’ penalty kill also puts them at a disadvantage, operating at just 59.3% in the postseason. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs’ power play has been clicking at 28.7%.

Defeating the Maple Leafs won’t be easy with how well their top players have been performing. A whopping six different Toronto players finished with at least seven points in the first round.

Mitchell Marner led the way with 11 while Auston Matthews and Morgan Rielly weren’t too far behind him with nine and eight, respectively. The trio of John Tavares, William Nylander, and Ryan O’Reilly recorded seven points apiece.

The Panthers are also getting solid offensive production. Matthew Tkachuk has a team-leading 11 points while Brandon Montour and Carter Verhaeghe each have eight. Another four players have at least five points. Having said that, a lot of that production comes from the Bruins underestimating the Panthers — a mistake the Maple Leafs will do their best to avoid.

Toronto has a good shot at avoiding a similar fate as long as goaltender Ilya Samsonov continues playing well. The Russian netminder has won four of his last five starts with a 2.42 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.

While the Panthers did get strong goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky to close out their opening-round series, he struggles against the Maple Leafs. Bobrovsky has four losses in his previous seven meetings with Toronto, playing to a disappointing 4.24 GAA and .868 SV%.

Panthers vs Maple Leafs Game 1 Prediction and Picks

Panthers vs Maple Leafs Prediction: Maple Leafs 4, Panthers 3

Panthers vs Maple Leafs: Maple Leafs ML (Best Value: -170 at BetOnline) & Auston Matthews — Any Time Goal (Best Value: -120 at BetOnline)

The Panthers might be riding a momentum wave from eliminating the Bruins, but I don’t see them winning tonight. The Maple Leafs are playing at home and have a chance to win a second-round game for the first time in nearly 20 years. Their top players are firing on all cylinders and as great as Florida has been playing, its struggles in Toronto can’t be ignored.

I also recommend backing Auston Matthews as an any time goal scorer at -120 odds. Not only does he have five goals in six games this postseason, but he’s also scored eight times in his last nine encounters with Florida. Having scored in all four Panthers vs Maple Leafs matchups in the regular season, expect Matthews to light the lamp again.

Other Panthers vs Maple Leafs Betting Resources

• Panthers vs Maple Leafs Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats

Other NHL Stories on Betting News (May 2)

• Stanley Cup Winner Odds and Best Bets