Panthers vs. Maple Leafs Predictions Tonight: NHL Player Props, Picks & Odds for April 2

The slumping Florida Panthers face the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight in a critical Atlantic Division matchup on Wednesday as we offer our prediction and best player props.

Gary Pearson

Last updated: April 2, 2025 4:57 PM EDT • 6 min read

Panthers vs. Maple Leafs Prediction Tonight: Best NHL Odds, Picks & Player Props for April 2 — Pictured: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies (23) pursues the play against the Philadelphia Flyers. Photo by Dan Hamilton via Imagn Images.

Two points separate the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs as they square off at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+) tonight from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto in a game that could bear significant weight on which team wins the Atlantic Division.

Our Maple Leafs vs. Panthers prediction and player props expect Toronto to inflict more pain on the visitors tonight. Florida enters after successive setbacks to the Montreal Canadians and losers of six of their previous 10. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs have won six of their last eight games, including three straight at home.

💰 Best Panthers vs. Maple Leafs predictions & NHL player props tonight: April 2

Here are my best Panthers vs. Maple Leafs predictions and player props for tonight's NHL matchup, with my pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale. Be sure to check out the rest of our NHL picks along with our guide for how to bet on NHL.

Game pick: Maple Leafs ML (-122 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sam Bennett player prop pick: Over 0.5 points (-120 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
John Tavares player prop pick: Anytime goal (+200 BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐
Matthew Knies player prop pick: Over 1.5 shots (-132 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

📊 Panthers vs. Maple Leafs pick & odds: Who will win tonight's NHL matchup?

As of 5 p.m. ET, the Maple Leafs are the -108 moneyline favorites to beat the Panthers (-105) in tonight's NHL matchup from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. I predict the Maple Leafs will win.

🔢 Panthers vs. Maple Leafs odds & betting lines

Here are the latest Panthers vs. Maple Leafs odds and betting lines from our best live betting sites.

🎯 Panthers vs. Maple Leafs score prediction: Maple Leafs 4, Panthers 2

The Maple Leafs lost both previous meetings this season against the Panthers, and they usually don't match up well with the defending Stanley Cup champions. However, Wednesday's game feels different.

The Panthers were dragged through the wringer in Montreal on Tuesday, losing 3-2 in overtime after coughing up a lead with nine seconds remaining in the third period. If that's not enough, Florida - which is receiving the second-shortest Stanley Cup odds - hasn't been playing well since Aaron Ekblad was removed from the lineup.

The Panthers' top defenseman, an assertion Gustav Forsling might argue, started serving his 20-game suspension against the Boston Bruins on March 11.

The Panthers had won six straight beforehand, but they're 4-5-1 since his absence. Three of those wins came against non-playoff teams, and the other occurred in Toronto against the Maple Leafs.

Ekblad's absence has created a massive hole in the Cats' defense, even with recent acquisition Seth Jones doing his utmost to suitably replace the suspended blue-liner.

The Maple Leafs haven't played since Sunday in Anaheim, so they should be fresh. As long as they're high on energy to start, a demoralized and fatigued Panthers team trying to make it by without Ekblad and Matthew Tkachuk is unlikely to beat the Leafs.

Best bet: Maple Leafs ML (-122 via FanDuel)

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💰 Best Panthers vs. Maple Leafs player prop bet odds & expert picks: April 2

Here are my best player prop bet odds and expert picks for tonight's NHL matchup. You can also check out our NHL player prop odds tool for the latest NHL odds at the best legal sportsbooks in your region.

🏒 Best Sam Bennett prop pick: Over 0.5 points ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: -120 via FanDuel ($10 to win $8.33)

Bennett isn't exactly lighting up the scoreboard while posting just two points in his last four games. However, he tends to save his best stuff for the Maple Leafs. Maybe it's because Bennett is from Ontario. Regardless of the reason, he rises to the occasion against the Buds and has scored six points against them in the previous three meetings.

The 28-year-old posted at least a point in the last four head-to-head encounters against Toronto.

📊 Best Sam Bennett prop bet odds

🏒 Best John Tavares prop pick: Anytime goal ⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +200 via BetMGM ($10 to win $20)

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Unlike Bennett, Tavares is scorching hot while enjoying a sensational season. Tavares is second on the team in goals with 35. He's scored eight goals in the last six games, lighting the lamp at least once in five straight contests before failing to score in Anaheim on Sunday.

The former Maple Leafs captain scored two goals in the previous three meetings against the Cats, and his physicality and intensity give him an excellent chance of netting his 36th.

📊 Best John Tavares prop bet odds

🏒 Best Matthew Knies prop pick: Over 1.5 shots ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: -132 via FanDuel ($10 to win $7.58)

FanDuel is offering an outlier -132 for this prop, a significantly better price than the rest of our best NHL betting sites.

Knies fired at least two shots on goal in seven of the last eight games, averaging 2.6 per contest. Knies is a reliable pick at this low total, with four Overs in his previous six home games. Also, he produced an extremely productive outing last time the Cats came to town, registering five shots during the March 13 setback.

📊 Best Matthew Knies prop bet odds

🚑 Panthers vs. Maple Leafs injuries

Here are the latest injuries for tonight's Panthers vs. Maple Leafs matchup, which will update in real time.

Tonight's matchup will be without a plethora of key players, namely Florida's Matthew Tkachuk and Toronto's Jani Hakanpaa, who are both on injured reserve. Panthers duo Dmitry Kulikov (out) and Nico Sturm (day-to-day) also have injury designations with upper body injuries.

📺 How to watch Panthers vs. Maple Leafs tonight

📅 Date: Wednesday, April 2
🕗 Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Scotiabank Arena (Toronto)
💻 Streaming: ESPN+

❓ Panthers vs. Maple Leafs FAQs

Who is favored to win Panthers vs. Maple Leafs?

The Maple Leafs are the -108 moneyline favorites for their game against the Panthers.

What are the odds for Panthers vs. Maple Leafs?

The total is set at 5.5 goals, with the Over at -115 and the Under -102.

What time is Panthers vs. Maple Leafs tonight?

Tonight's Panthers vs. Maple Leafs game starts at 7:30 p.m. ET.

How to watch Panthers vs. Maple Leafs

You can watch tonight's Panthers vs. Maple Leafs game on ESPN+.

🥅 Best NHL betting sites

Looking to bet on the NHL tonight? Here are our best NHL betting sites as determined by our expert team at Sportsbook Review, along with our best sportsbook promos ahead of tonight's game.

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Written by:
Gary Pearson

Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.

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