Senators vs Maple Leafs Picks, Odds & Betting Preview: Battle of Ontario Belonged to Ottawa Last Season
- Ottawa Senators took three of four from the Toronto Maple Leafs last season
- Sens are 12-4 in their last 16 games against the Leafs
- The total has gone over in Ottawa’s last five games at Toronto
On paper, the showdown between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators should be no contest. And the so-called Battle of Ontario is proving to be a lopsided affair. The Ottawa Senators vs Toronto Maple Leafs stats & odds likely don’t lean the way most would expect, though.
Toronto finished 36 points ahead of Ottawa in the standings last season. But on the ice, the Leafs finished on the wrong side of the scoreline in three of four meetings with the Senators.
Ottawa Senators vs Toronto Maple Leafs Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Puckline | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa Senators | +240 | +1.5 (-110) | Over 6.5 (-110) |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | -280 | -1.5 (-110) | Under 6.5 (-110) |
*Odds taken 10/01/19
Ottawa has won 12 of 16 from Toronto.
Familiar Faces
As if this rivalry needed any more kindling to heat it up, a summer of exchanges saw both rosters populated with players from the other side.
The Leafs traded forward Connor Brown and defenseman Nikita Zaitsev to the Senators for defensemen Cody Ceci and Ben Harpur.
The Sens also signed ex-Leafs forward Tyler Ennis and defenseman Ron Hainsey as fee agents. The Leafs added longtime Ottawa center Jason Spezza as a free agent.
Leafs assistant coach DJ Smith was named the new head coach in Ottawa.
Busy Summer in Toronto
The Leafs completed a major deal with the Colorado Avalanche, sending center Nazem Kadri and defenseman Calle Rosen to the Avs for defenseman Tyson Barrie and center Alex Kerfoot.
Toronto also signed restricted free agent forward Mitch Marner to a six-year contract with an average annual value of $10.893 million.
Always plenty of great highlights from @Marner93 – take your pick! 🔮 pic.twitter.com/teGQIPxM9k
— NHL (@NHL) September 27, 2019
The Leafs now have over $33.5 million locked into Marner, John Tavares and Auston Matthews, all of whom will make over $10 million this season.
Neither of last spring’s Stanley Cup finalists, the Boston Bruins or St. Louis Blues, were paying any player $10 million a season.
Matthews in Legal Mess
Expected to be named captain of the Leafs, Matthews instead found himself in the midst of a court case.
Matthews, 22, faces a charge of disorderly conduct and disruptive behaviour after a May incident at his Arizona condo involving a female security guard.
Senators in Rebuilding Mode
Finishing last overall in the NHL in 2018-19 with 64 points, Ottawa revamped its roster over the summer months. The Senators who will take the ice Wednesday at Toronto feature 12 players who weren’t on the opening-night roster a year ago.
Ottawa allowed an NHL-high 302 goals last season. Only the Los Angeles Kings (-61) showed a worse goal differential than Ottawa’s -60.
Ottawa Has Dominated Toronto
The Leafs have collected 100 points in successive seasons but have yet to win a single playoff series under coach Mike Babcock. And they haven’t even faced Ottawa in any of those postseason series.
The Sens have won six of their last eight visits to Toronto. Ottawa is 20-6 all-time against the Leafs in October. The Leafs are just 3-7 in their last 10 games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Craig Anderson, expected to get the start in goal for Ottawa, is 17-8-3 lifetime against the Maple Leafs. He’s won four of his last six from Toronto.
The total for this game is set at 6.5. The two teams exceeded that number in eight of their last nine meetings. The total has gone over in Ottawa’s last five visits to Toronto and in eight of the last nine Leafs-Sens games.
The total has also gone over in four of Ottawa’s last six games and in four of the Sens’ last six with Atlantic Division opposition.
Pick: Ottawa Senators [+240, +1.5 (-110), over 6.5 (-110)]
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
