NHL Best Betting Picks and Predictions Today for Panthers vs. Maple Leafs Game 1 on Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Our NHL handicapper provides his best bets from the Tuesday, May 2, 2023 slate, featuring the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers at the Scotiabank Arena. Not only do we give you picks from one of the best hockey handicappers out there, but we also provide the results from our predictive analytics model, known as DimersBOT, which runs over 10,000 simulations of every major pro and college sport, and where we may have identified an edge against the sportsbooks' odds. We assess our probabilities against the money line odds, the puck line and the total, otherwise known as the Over/Under, and then tell you where the best odds and lines are available, allowing you to bet like a sharp and maximize your profits.

Today's NHL best bets and odds for Maple Leafs vs. Panthers are proudly brought to you by BetMGM Sportsbook.

Before Tone shares his wisdom, check out the below predictions from DimersBOT. It has run 10,000 simulations for each game on the May 2, 2023 slate to give you the most accurate look at what you'll be betting on at Scotiabank Arena. These probabilities will continue to update right up until the puck drops, so keep an eye on them and see if you can get yourself some value.

Maple Leafs vs. Panthers Predictions and Odds

For the most up-to-date NHL betting picks today, check out our interactive hockey predictions for Panthers vs. Maple Leafs and every other game being played today in the Bet Hub. It's constantly updating based on hundreds of different data points.

Maple Leafs vs. Panthers Best Bets

Tuesday, May 2, 2023 - 7:00PM EST

PICK: Toronto Maple Leafs -1 (-108)
PICK: Toronto Maple Leafs 1st Period -0.5 (+145)

The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tonight as we have a surprising matchup of the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both teams are coming off monumental first round wins as the Leafs finally won a first round series after 19 years the the Panther pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NHL history by defeating the Boston Bruins, who had the best regular season record in league history.

The Leafs won their series in 6 and the Panthers won theirs in 7, which presents one of my favorite playoff betting trends, which is fading a team off a 7 game win. The Panthers have had 1 day off in between games, which puts them in a tough spot as they are coming off the emotion of the upset win, and now have a short turnaround to prepare for the Leafs. Yes, Toronto had an emotional win themselves but they have had 2 days off to settle down and get ready. This time of year, that extra day means the world.

I do think Florida will settle into this series but I am looking at the Leafs to come out fast so I'll take their first period puck line and back them to win the game, but on the -1, to reduce juice. This is going to end up being a high scoring competitive series but I think Game 1 will be a little slower paced so I lean under but will go with the Leafs instead.

BET: Toronto Maple Leafs -1 (-108), 1st Period - Toronto Maple Leafs -0.5 (+145) with BetMGM.

MORE: Dimers' full betting preview for Maple Leafs vs. Panthers

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