The Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs meet in Game 5 of a best-of-7 Eastern Conference semifinals series Friday. The Panthers lead the series 3-1. Puck drop from Scotiabank Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Panthers vs. Maple Leafs odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Maple Leafs posted a 2-1 win in Game 4 at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise on Wednesday, staving off elimination for the time being.
Even more surprising, rookie Joseph Woll made his NHL postseason starting debut, kicking aside 24 of the 25 shots he faced for his 1st playoff win. Now, can he do it again? Ilya Samsonov left Game 3 due to an upper-body injury, and he is a question mark for Game 5.
The Panthers were on the other end of a 3-1 series against the Boston Bruins in the 1st round before rattling off 3 straight wins. Florida made history, eliminating the President’s Trophy winner from the regular season. Now, Florida is looking to avoid becoming the 5th team in NHL playoff history to blow a 3-0 series lead.
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Panthers at Maple Leafs odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 10:21 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Panthers +145 (bet $100 to win $145) | Maple Leafs -175 (bet $175 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Panthers +1.5 (-165) | Maple Leafs -1.5 (+140)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -120 | U: +100)
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Panthers at Maple Leafs projected goalies
Sergei Bobrovsky (24-20-3, 3.07 GAA, .901 SV%, 1 SO – regular season) vs. Joseph Woll (6-1-0, 2.16 GAA, .932 SV% – regular season)
Bobrovsky allowed just 23 of 25 shots in Game 4, but he was on the short end to halt a 6-game winning streak. He wasn’t bad, allowing just a power-play goal to William Nylander at 3:29 of the 2nd period, and an even-strength goal to Mitchell Marner at 10:03 of the 3rd.
Woll was successful in his 1st NHL postseason start, saving 24 of the 25 shots he faced. He was staked to a 2-0 lead, and the only goal he allowed came off the stick of Sam Reinhart on a power play. He got a piece of the shot, but the puck just trickled in over the line for Florida’s lone goal.
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Panthers at Maple Leafs picks and predictions
Prediction
Maple Leafs 3, Panthers 2
Moneyline
The Maple Leafs (-175) are a little on the expensive side in Game 5, and I can’t trust a team which has lost both games on home ice so far in this series. Yes, Toronto has a little momentum after staving off elimination in Game 4, but they still have a rookie goalie making his 1st-ever home playoff start. The pressure has been ratcheted up after playing with little expectations last time out.
PASS.
Puck line/Against the spread
The PANTHERS +1.5 (-165) are not priced out of line if you want a little insurance and don’t trust Florida straight up. The Panthers are 2-0 in the first 2 skates at Scotiabank Arena in this series, while winning 5 straight games on the road in this postseason since dropping Game 1 in Boston.
Still, I can’t pick Florida on the moneyline, either, as they’re due for a road setback. However, this should be another 1-goal game. The last 3 games have been decided by a single goal, while 4 of the last 5 games have been 1-goal games, too.
Over/Under
The UNDER 6.5 (+100) is a value play in Game 5. We have had the Under cash in 4 straight games in this series, and there is no reason to get away from it now.
Woll turned heads with a tremendous outing in Game 4, and Bobrovsky has allowed exactly 2 goals in each of the 4 games in this series. At even-money, this is a tremendous wager.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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