Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers Game 3 odds, picks, prediction
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthersmeet in Game 3 of a best-of-7 Eastern Conference semifinals series Sunday. The Panthers lead the series 2-0. Puck drop from FLA Live Arena is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET (TBS). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Maple Leafs vs. Panthers odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Panthers have been on fire in this series, putting the Maple Leafs in an 0-2 series hole before the series shifts to Sunrise for the next 2 games.
Florida opened the series with a 4-2 road win in Game 1, and it was 0-for-1 on the power play in that one. Of course, Toronto went 0-for-4 on the man advantage. The Panthers were more physical, though, posting 47 hits to just 36 for the Leafs.
In Game 2, the Leafs posted a decisive 37-17 margin in faceoffs won, and it brought the physicality with 48 hits to 42 for the Panthers. The Leafs even had a power-play goal, going 1-for-3, while the Panthers are 0-for-2 on the man advantage in the series. Still, Toronto just couldn’t get out of its own way on offense, didn’t screen the tendy enough, and couldn’t create high-danger scoring chances.
Maple Leafs at Panthers odds
BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:46 a.m. ET.
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Maple Leafs at Panthers projected goalies
Ilya Samsonov (27-10-5, 2.33 GAA, .919 SV%, 4 SO – regular season) vs. Sergei Bobrovsky (24-20-3, 3.07 GAA, .901 SV%, 1 SO – regular season)
Samsonov has been good, but not great in the 1st 2 games. However, he hasn’t been the issue of why the Leafs were dropped in back-to-back games on home ice. He allowed 7 goals on 55 shots, and held the team in there in the 3rd period of Game 2.
Bobrovsky has been just a little better than his counterpart, and he kicked aside 34 of the 36 shots he faced in Game 2 for the win. He is now 5-1-0 with a 3.33 GAA and .908 SV% in 6 postseason starts and 7 playoff appearances.
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Maple Leafs at Panthers picks and predictions
Prediction
Maple Leafs 4, Panthers 3
The MAPLE LEAFS (-130) are a surprising favorite in Game 3, as it looks to make this a series and avoid a devastating 0-3 series hole.
Toronto stepped up its game last time out, both in terms of physicality and its work at the faceoff dot. This should be a high-scoring game, but Toronto will get it done with its backs against the wall, as the road team remains perfect in the series.
The Panthers +1.5 (-225) will cost you over 2 times your potential return, and that’s just too expensive for my liking. If you like Florida, just play it straight up.
AVOID.
The OVER 6.5 (-135) is quite a bit pricey, but it’s the play. Both Bob and Samsonov are allowing north of 3 goals per game in these playoffs, so there is plenty of opportunity for total bettors wanting to go high.
We’ve seen the Under cash in each of the 1st 2 in this series, but I think we see a 3-3 game in regulation, with the deciding goal coming in overtime.
