Two longtime Eastern Conference rivals will face off tonight, with the Philadelphia Flyers paying a visit to the Toronto Maple Leafs from Scotiabank Arena.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Philadelphia Flyers (+270) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (-345) Total: 6.5 (O -104, U -118)
This will be an exciting game to watch, with the Maple Leafs coming home from a disappointing Western road trip, which has led them to post a 4-4-2 record through ten games. On the other hand, the Flyers have looked good early on and are coming off an overtime loss last night to the New York Rangers, which has them at 5-2-2 on the campaign. Even though the Flyers’ record has been strong, they weren’t projected to be a quality team, but you can never write off a franchise that is kicking off a tenure with John Tortorella as head coach. Philly seems much more engaged this season than we saw a year ago, meaning there are likely better results coming, even if they don’t continue at this current rate.
Looking at the goalie matchup, the visitors will likely turn to Felix Sandstrom in the net, while the Maple Leafs should counter with Ilya Samsonov. The Flyers’ backup has an 0-2 record with a .900 save percentage, while Samsonov is 4-2 with a .920 save percentage. The Maple Leafs should have the advantage in goal, which could be a big deal with them playing their first game at home after a long road trip.
The biggest problem for the Maple Leafs of this era is that they’ve continuously played down to their competition. They did that during their West Coast road trip, and it caused plenty of headlines wondering about head coach Sheldon Keefe’s job. Management might have no choice if the team doesn’t figure things out shortly. The Flyers are playing for a second consecutive night, which includes travel, and it’s difficult to see the Leafs not putting together a multi-goal victory in this spot. As a result, targeting their puck line price of -134 has some value built into it.
Best Bet: Maple Leafs puck line -1.5 (-134)
When you look at tonight’s total at 6.5, considering the Maple Leafs are big favorites on the moneyline, you can conclude that oddsmakers expect the home side to win impressively. However, when have the Leafs been able to do that, especially against a Tortorella-coached, hard-working hockey club? The Maple Leafs may win this game by multiple goals, but don’t expect it to be a crazy blowout. Targeting the value on the under 6.5 is something that bettors should be attracted to, sitting at +118.
Best Bet: Under 6.5 (+118)
It hasn’t been the best start to the regular season for some of the Maple Leafs’ star players, but this matchup could be a big momentum swing for them at home. One player that stands out with a ton of value with their goal-scoring prop is William Nylander. He’s recorded four goals and six assists through ten games. Those numbers are solid on paper, but if you watch how he’s played on the ice, Nylander has much more to give for his talent level. The Swedish star is listed at +170 to score, and it’s hard to avoid that type of value on tonight’s two-game slate.
Best Prop: William Nylander to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+170)
