The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Columbus Blue Jackets square off on Saturday in a game that carries weight for both squads.
The pregame narrative: Wins matter for Toronto as it aims to stay first in the Atlantic Division. Columbus needs to keep pace in the playoff race. Top players should shine in a meaningful matchup, making Mitch Marner a solid choice to score a power-play point and Zach Werenski a nice pick to top his shot prop.
Check out my Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Blue Jackets for April 5.
Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Blue Jackets
Best Bet: Marner to score a power-play point (+185)
This isn’t a market I typically indulge in but I do like the setup for Saturday night.
Marner is on an absolute tear and coming off arguably his most impactful performance of the season. The Maple Leafs winger produced two points — a goal and a gorgeous assist — in a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers.
That was a thing of beauty.
But Marner’s standout performance against the Panthers isn’t an isolated incident. He has three goals and 10 points across his last nine games, including five power-play points during this stretch.
Columbus’ struggling penalty kill is why I’m targeting this prop in particular.
The Blue Jackets rank 24th on the PK this season (75.5%).
Toronto’s power play, meanwhile, is firing on all cylinders. The Maple Leafs sit second on the man advantage across the last month, clicking at a 39.4% success rate.
Key stat: Marner leads the Maple Leafs with 32 power-play points this season.
Quick pick
Werenski over 3.5 shots (+140): This is a big line for most defencemen.
But Weresnki isn’t playing like most defencemen. The Columbus superstar has been incredible this campaign.
Here’s how he ranks in several key stats among all blueliners:
- T-2nd in assists (54)
- Second in points (74)
- First in shots (269)
The latter is certainly the most important for this prop.
And he’s in fine form ahead of Saturday’s showdown. Werenski has topped this mark in four consecutive games and seven of his last eight.
What makes this an even more intriguing wager is the matchup. Toronto has done a poor job of limiting opposing shot totals.
The Maple Leafs are surrendering the eighth-most shots per game (29.4). They’re heading in the wrong direction, too, ceding the fifth-most shots per contest over the last month (30.1).
Werenski topped this total in each of his two appearances against Toronto this season (11 total shots). Expect him to be the Blue Jackets’ driving offensive force as they try to squeak into a wild-card spot.
Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets prop picks made at 10:13 a.m. ET 04/05/2025.
Stevie’s an avid NFL, NHL, and tennis bettor who has no problem talking himself into the underdog. His previous stops include Yahoo! Sports Canada and Toronto Metropolitan University, where he received a degree in Sport Media.