NHL Odds, Preview, Expert Pick & Prediction: Maple Leafs vs. Bruins (Thursday, April 6)

NHL Odds, Preview, Expert Pick & Prediction: Maple Leafs vs. Bruins (Thursday, April 6) article feature image
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Pictured: David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

  • The Bruins host the Maple Leafs on Thursday night as the NHL season winds down.
  • Boston has been dominant at home this season and will look to maintain that edge as the postseason approaches.
  • Carol Schram digs into the odds and shares her betting prediction for Maple Leafs vs Bruins below.

Maple Leafs vs. Bruins Odds

Maple Leafs Odds+126
Bruins Odds-152
Over/Under6.5 (+114/-140)
Time7 p.m. ET
TV TVAS
Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here.

The top two teams in the Atlantic Division will go head-to-head Thursday, when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit TD Garden to take on the Boston Bruins.

With playoff seeding basically set for both sides, the stakes aren't especially high for this game. Boston continues to chase some all-time NHL records, while Toronto will be looking to even the season series at two.

Here's the latest on both teams, and your best bet for Maple Leafs vs Bruins.

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Toronto Maple Leafs

Four of Toronto's final five games will be played on the road, including Thursday's contest in Boston. The Leafs are formidable on home ice (26-8-6), but a less dominant 20-13-4 away from Scotiabank Arena.

With their sights firmly set on trying to secure their first playoff-series win since 2004, the Leafs are in full playoff-preparation mode.

The big news for Toronto is the imminent return of Ryan O'Reilly, who has missed the past 14 games with a broken finger. At practice on Wednesday, the Conn Smythe-winning trade-deadline acquisition slotted into the third-line center position, with linemates Alexander Kerfoot and Noel Acciari. He should be an asset, particularly in the faceoff circle.

With Matt Murray still listed as day-to-day, look for Ilya Samsonov to get back between the pipes. He's 1-1-1 since returning to the lineup following the birth of his son, but has allowed just five goals across those three games.

Without much to play for, the Leafs have been a bit inconsistent over their past 10 games, with a 6-3-1 record. They've only managed consecutive wins onece during that stretch, at home to Carolina and in a road shootout against Ottawa on St. Patrick's Day weekend.


Boston Bruins

With the Presidents' Trophy already locked up, the Bruins are in load-management mode, resting key players and experimenting with combinations. And still, they keep on winning — they're 10-1-0 in their past 11 games.

The Bruins are coming into Thursday's game off three days' rest, but with playoff preparation being the main focus, it's a bit difficult to predict what Boston's lineup will look like against Toronto.

Taylor Hall took regular line rushes in a full-contact jersey on Wednesday for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury on Feb. 25. Coach Jim Montgomery called Hall "doubtful" to play against the Leafs, but didn't completely rule him out.

David Krejci's is also questionable. He sat out the Bruins' 4-3 shootout win over St. Louis on Sunday and suited up for practice Wednesday, but left early.

Patrice Bergeron has also missed three of the Bruins' past five games. He practiced in his usual spot with Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk on Wednesday, so he should be in the lineup against Toronto.

In net, the Bruins have mostly been alternating Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark, and both have been excellent. Uncharacteristically, Boston gave up three goals in each of its past two games — and still won both.


Maple Leafs vs. Bruins Pick

The Maple Leafs earned a 2-1 win over the Bruins at Scotiabank Arena back on Nov. 5. However, Boston has taken the two subsequent games, 4-3 and 5-2.

With goals at more of a premium as the playoffs draw near, under 6.5 goals offers some value. If you're feeling a bit more bold, consider a 60-minute draw at +360 or a goal from Boston's David Pastrnak, who had scored in four straight games before being limited to one assist against the Blues.

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