The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens open their regular seasons Tuesday at Bell Centre. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Maple Leafs vs. Canadiens, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Maple Leafs are listed among the preseason favorites to win Lord Stanley’s Cup, but in order to do that, a team needs to be able to get out of the 1st round of the playoffs.
Toronto fell in the 1st round to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 7 games last year and fell to the Montreal Canadiens in a 7-game opening round series in the 2021 postseason. The Original 6 rival has been a thorn in the side of the Leafs in recent years.
The Canadiens are 5-2 in the past 7 meetings, with the home team going 4-0 in the past 4, and the underdog going 5-2 in the past 7 in the series.
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Maple Leafs at Canadiens odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:18 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Maple Leafs -280 (bet $280 to win $100) | Canadiens +220 (bet $100 to win $220)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Maple Leafs -1.5 (-115) | Canadiens +1.5 (-107)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -125 | U: +100)
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Maple Leafs at Canadiens projected goalies
Matt Murray (5-12-2, 3.05 GAA, .906 SV%, 1 SO in 2021-22 w/Ottawa) vs. Jake Allen (9-20-4, 3.30 GAA, .905 SV%, 2 SO in 2021-22)
The Leafs added both Murray and G Ilya Samsonov in a complete offesean overhaul between the pipes. Murray, a 2-time Stanley Cup champ in Pittsburgh, looks to resurrect his career with a contender.
Allen will be the full-time starter in 2022-23 with Carey Price having difficulty making his way back from knee surgery. The 32-year-old Allen was 1-1-0 with a 2.27 GAA and .948 SV% in 3 appearances vs. Toronto in 2021-22.
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Maple Leafs at Canadiens picks and predictions
Prediction
Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 3
Moneyline
CANADIENS (+220) is worth a roll of the dice on home ice against the heavily-favored Maple Leafs.
Montreal has won 5 of the past 7 meetings overall despite the fact Toronto has had a much better record in the past 2 seasons. The home side is also 4-0 in the past 4 meetings, so it’s worth the risk with the heavy home ‘dog.
Puck line/Against the spread
CANADIENS +1.5 (-107) isn’t nearly as good of a value on the puck line, but it is also a strong play if you just can’t pull the trigger on the Habs straight up. The underdog is 5-2 in the past 7 in this series, and Montreal always seems to give Toronto fits.
Over/Under
The OVER 6.5 (-125) is the best bet here, but know you’ll be going against some recent series trends.
The Under is 5-1 in the past 6 meetings, and 6-1-1 in the past 8 meetings at Bell Centre. However, Murray was awfully shaky last season in Ottawa, and Allen can also be very giving.
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