The Ottawa Senators begin their 2021 NHL season Friday against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs (1-0-0) at Canadian Tire Centre. Puck drop will be at 7 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Maple Leafs-Senators NHL betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
The Maple Leafs opened their season with a 5-4 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens on home ice Wednesday.
Maple Leafs at Senators: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:39 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Maple Leafs -200 (bet $200 to win $100) | Senators +175 (bet $100 to win $175)
- Against the spread/ATS: Maple Leafs -1.5 (+120) | Senators +1.5 (-145)
- Over/Under: 6.5 (O: -135 | U: +110)
Maple Leafs at Senators: Projected starting goalies
Frederik Andersen (1-0-0, .875 SV%, 3.79 GAA) vs. Matt Murray (2019-20 stats: 20-11-5, .899 SV%, 2.87 GAA)
Andersen stopped 28 of 32 shots in Wednesday’s season-opening win in a game filled with sloppy turnovers and defensive mistakes by both teams. He played the Senators just once last season and allowed 3 goals on 26 shots but got the win.
Murray signed a 4-year, $25-million contract with the Sens this offseason after his rights were acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’s a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Penguins but declined over the past several seasons.
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Maple Leafs at Senators: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Senators 5, Maple Leads 3
Money line (ML)
The SENATORS (+175) offer plenty of value while matched up against one of the top public betting favorites in the NHL. Toronto snuck out the 5-4 win in its season-opener Wednesday but it took overtime and Montreal led for much of regulation.
Ottawa is vastly improved from the team that went a combined 54-81-18 over the past two seasons. The Leafs are still the superior team at both ends of the ice and in net, but they’re still too mistake-prone to trust while laying -200 in this young season.
Against the spread (ATS)
The SENATORS +1.5 (-145) can also be backed on the puck line with 1 goal of insurance in the event of a loss. They’re much more talented up front than they’ve been the last several seasons and will be able to hang with Toronto’s elite forwards and capitalize on early-season miscues.
The Sens last played March 11 of last season and the roster is hardly recognizable from the one that last took the ice in a competitive game. They’ll be an early surprise this season and it’s likely to take the oddsmakers a while to adjust the odds to their expectations.
Over/Under (O/U)
Hammer the OVER 6.5 (-135), even though it’s the side of the line being heavily juiced. The Maple Leafs played to a total of 9 goals against the Canadiens Wednesday and the Senators’ new-look roster is sure to take some time to gel with no true preseason play.
Expect plenty of mistakes and an exciting, high-scoring game as a result. Sorry, goalies.
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