Maple Leafs vs Panthers Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for NHL Playoffs Game 3 (Can Toronto Avoid 0-3 Series Hole?)

The 2022-23 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs continue on Sunday, May 7 as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers are set to play Game 3 of their second-round series. 

Maple Leafs vs Panthers Game 3 Info

• Series: FLA leads 2-0
• Date: Sunday, May 7, 2023
• Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
• Venue: FLA Live Arena -- Sunrise, Florida
• Coverage: TBS

The Maple Leafs offense was nowhere to be found in Game 2, losing 3-2 to the Panthers on home ice. Despite being down 2-0 early in the first period, Florida scored three unanswered goals to steal the win while goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 35 of the 37 shots he faced.

Maple Leafs vs Panthers Odds & Spread

• All NHL betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: TOR: (-134) | FLA: (+112)
• Spread: TOR: -1.5 (+172) | FLA: +1.5 (-210)
• Total: 6.5 -- Over: (-138) | Under: (+112)

The Maple Leafs enter this contest as road favorites on the spread and moneyline per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 6:30 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 6.5 goals with the Over being favored at -138 odds. 

Maple Leafs vs Panthers Betting Trends

• Toronto is 6-0 straight up in its last six road games.
• Florida is 8-3 straight up in its last 11 home games against Toronto.
• The total has hit the under in four of Toronto's last five games against Florida.
• The total has hit the under in each of Florida's last five games played in May.

Maple Leafs vs Panthers Prediction & Pick

After scoring an average of 3.83 goals in Round 1, the Maple Leafs have been held to exactly two in each game to begin this series. While the Panthers' defense has been solid, a big part of Toronto's scoring issues stem from Bobrovsky playing like the former Vezina Trophy winner he is, making 69-of-73 saves through Games 1 and 2.

Having said that, Bobrovsky hasn't been great at home, going 1-3-0 with a 4.97 goals-against average and .858 save percentage in his last five appearances. Furthermore, he has a 3.52 GAA and .894 SV% in his last 10 encounters with Toronto.

I just can't see the Maple Leafs going down 0-3 in this series. They have too much talent for that to happen. Besides, Toronto has won each of its last six away games and is 3-0 on the road this postseason. While the Panthers have won eight of their last 11 home games against the Leafs, they're 1-4 SU in their previous five outings at FLA Live Arena.

Desperate to cut the series deficit in half, look for the Maple Leafs to get their first second-round win in nearly two decades.

Final Score Prediction: Maple Leafs: 4 | Panthers: 2

Maple Leafs vs Panthers Best Bet

Even though the Over on the 6.5-goal is favored, I see the under as the best bet for Game 3. Each of the last four Maple Leafs-Panthers matchups has gone under 6.5 goals, averaging just 4.8 total goals. The Under is also 4-1 in Toronto's last five games as well as 5-0 in Florida's previous five played in May.

With Bobrovsky playing great and Ilya Samsonov more than capable of returning to form, don't expect a ton of goals at FLA Live Arena this Sunday.

Bet: Under 6.5 Goals (+112)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.