Sunday’s clash between the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs should be box office.
The two bitter rivals have engaged in plenty of blood-and-thunder shows over the past two decades, but it’s been 21 years since these two teams met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
And given where each team is in its franchise trajectory, the stakes for this best-of-7 could not be higher.
The Maple Leafs, coming off a division title and another 100-point regular season, have won one playoff series since beating the Senators in 2004.
The Senators haven’t been to the postseason since 2017, but are likely just at the beginning of their rise.
The Leafs are a chunky -192 favorite to win the series and are sitting at -156 to win Game 1.
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Senators vs. Maple Leafs Game 1 betting preview
It may not seem like it, but these two teams are coming into the playoffs in similar fashion.
Both the Leafs and Sens played uneven hockey for the first two-thirds of the campaign, but they found their best form down the stretch to surge into the postseason.
Toronto played at an 118-point pace over its last 25 games, while Ottawa just behind the Buds with a 115-point pace.
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Adding to the similarity is the fact that both the Leafs and Sens (finally) have their goaltending issues sorted out. Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll were fabulous all season in Toronto, but Linus Ullmark was a stabilizing force in Ottawa, too.
If you go player-by-player, it’s hard not to give a slight edge to Leafs up front, but Ottawa’s defense is underrated, and their No. 1 rearguard, Jake Sanderson, could be the best blueliner in this series.
Senators vs. Maple Leafs Game 1 pick
The Maple Leafs absolutely deserve to be the favorite in this series. They’ve got more experience, star power, and had the better regular season. Toronto is coming into the tournament in top form, too.
But, the gap between these two teams seems closer than the oddsmakers – and most pundits – believe. The Sens had the better 5-on-5 numbers all season, and their goaltender is good enough to win games on his own.
Ottawa is going to be a feisty underdog in this series and has value at +125 or better for Game 1.
The Play: Senators +125 or better
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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