The pregame narrative: Toronto has a plethora of offensive options at its disposal and I’m backing two of its forwards — John Tavares and Matthew Knies — to get on the score sheet.
Check out my Maple Leafs prop picks vs. the Golden Knights for March 5.
Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Golden Knights
Best Bet: Tavares 1+ points (-150)
The former captain is having a bounce-back season and the Leafs needed it.
Tavares is in the final year of his lucrative deal with his hometown Leafs and fans were ready to start a riot after he looked washed last season.
His 65 points in 80 games were the fewest in his career (aside from the shortened 2020 season, when he had 50 points in 56 games).
This year, he’s at nearly a point-per-game pace, recording 52 points in 54 outings. That’s probably still not worth the $11 million he’s owed, but it’s more manageable for a Toronto squad in serious pursuit of a Stanley Cup.
Plus Tavares has been rolling since the break. He has seven points in six games and is 5-1 against this wager.
Key stat: In the Leafs’ first game against Vegas back on Nov. 20, Tavares had two assists in a 3-0 win.
Quick pick
Knies 1+ points (+100): I think it’s gone way under the radar, but Knies is having a breakout season on the offensively stacked Leafs.
He’s not only been productive, but he’s carved out an important role on the Atlantic Division’s best team. Take a look at his stats:
- 57 games
- 41 points
- 18:26 average ice time
- 2:21 power play time
Knies is on a tidy four-game point streak, too, tallying three goals and two assists during that time.
Shea Theodore remains sidelined for Vegas after picking up an injury in the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Golden Knights allowed five goals against in two of the four games since.
Knies plays on the first line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, and while those two skaters carry odds shorter than -220 to score a point, the left winger has a plus-money price tag on Wednesday.
Picks made at 3:08 p.m. ET 03/05/2025.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.