The Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche collide after a busy trade deadline for both squads.
The pregame narrative: Colorado added Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle at the deadline to secure the middle of the ice. Toronto added Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo to bolster its roster. None crack my props picks for tonight. Instead, I’m eyeing Nathan MacKinnon and Matthew Knies.
Check out my Maple Leafs prop picks vs. the Avalanche for March 8.
Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Avalanche
Best Bet: MacKinnon over 3.5 shots (-134)
There’s a decent amount of juice to pay on this line but it’s usually worth betting on MacKinnon’s shot prop when it’s hovering at 3.5.
MacKinnon is one of the game’s premier shooters. He’s second in the category (257), only trailing Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak (268).
He’s capable of some truly outrageous shooting performances. For example, MacKinnon fired off eight shots on goal in his most recent contest vs. the San Jose Sharks.
The matchup works in his favour on Saturday, too, as the Maple Leafs struggle to limit opposing teams’ shot totals and quality chances:
- Toronto allows the 10th-most shots per game (29.1)
- Toronto cedes the ninth-most shots per 60 (28.96)
- Toronto surrenders the eighth-most scoring chances per 60 (28.8)
MacKinnon is one of the NHL’s best at getting the puck into high-percentage areas and should do so against the Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
Key stat: MacKinnon has topped this total in 11 of his last 16 outings, averaging 5.1 shots per game during this stretch.
Quick pick
Knies 1+ points (+100): Betting on Knies to register a point is one of the most intriguing props to bet on in the NHL right now.
Here’s why:
- Knies has a point in four of his last five games (five total).
- Knies has a point in nine of his last 14 outings (14 total).
The winger is firing on all cylinders and already has a career-high 24 goals and 41 points.
What makes him such an appealing wager at this time is his spot in the lineup. Knies plays on Toronto’s first line alongside Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews. He also plays on the top power play, skating with those two forwards, William Nylander and John Tavares.
Both Matthews (-278) and Marner (-245) have much steeper odds of scoring a point, making Knies the preferred play considering his deployment.
Picks made at 12:35 p.m. ET 03/08/2025.
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.