Leafs favoured to beat Sens in first playoff Battle of Ontario since 2004

For the first time since 2004, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators will meet in the playoffs as the two sides renew the Battle of Ontario on the game’s biggest stage.

The Maple Leafs have been a mainstay in the playoffs and their nine-year stretch of making the postseason is the longest active streak in the league.

Meanwhile, this is Ottawa’s first time back in the playoffs since making a run to the conference finals in 2017.

Toronto’s odds to beat the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the playoffs have already shifted from -162 to -176 at FanDuel. The Senators are +142 to pull off the series upset.

The Leafs are +110 to win Game 1 and the series, while Ottawa is +270 to do the same.

On the flip side, if you think Ottawa will win Game 1 but Toronto pulls out the series, that is priced at +400, and the Leafs to win Game 1 but Ottawa win the series is +480.

Here is a look at a few other series props on FanDuel.

SERIES SPREAD

The Leafs (-1.5) are +122 to cover the series spread. Toronto’s only playoff series win since 2004 was in six games over the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023.

TOTAL GAMES

The over/under for games in the series has been set at 5.5, with over coming in at -178 and the under at +144.

Toronto’s last seven opening round playoff series have all gone over this total.

LEADING GOAL SCORER

Auston Matthews has the shortest odds of every player to lead this series in goals scored at +340. In 55 playoff games, Matthews has 23 goals.

Not far behind is William Nylander at +500 and Brady Tkachuk (+550).

John Tavares (+800) and Matthew Knies (+1000) round out the top five, while Mitch Marner (+1100) is the only other Leafs player with shorter than 35-to-1 odds.

Drake Batherson (+1900), Tim Stützle (+2200), Dylan Cozens (+2400), Shane Pinto (+2600), Fabian Zetterlund (+3100), and Ridly Greig (+3400) all fill the middle part of this market.

Here is a look at the odds for each player to score one, two, three, and four goals this series.