The Battle of Ontario renews on Saturday night when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Ottawa Senators in the nation’s capital.
The pregame narrative: Bobby McMann is thriving on Toronto’s power play and is a nice pick to record a point. Morgan Rielly, meanwhile, no longer skates on PP1 and is a fade candidate. Thirdly, I’m backing Claude Giroux to find the score sheet for Ottawa.
Check out my Maple Leafs props vs. Senators for Jan. 25.
Maple Leafs props vs. Senators
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Best Bet: McMann to score 1+ points (-122)
McMann has been rolling since snapping a six-game pointless streak on Jan. 16 and it’s not difficult to see why.
The Maple Leafs winger was elevated to the team’s top power play. Toronto’s man advantage isn’t elite by any stretch (21.7%, T-15th), but this does provide McMann with an increase in offensively-friendly opportunities.
He’s playing with a trio of elite talent while up a man. McMann is chumming it up with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander on PP1.
The matchup is worth highlighting, too, as Ottawa’s penalty kill isn’t anything special. The Sens rank an underwhelming 18th on the PK (78.3%).
McMann’s recent uptick in point production makes him worth backing at this price.
Key stat: McMann has four points in his last four games.
Quick pick
Rielly under 1.5 shots (-114): Rielly’s removal from PP1 makes him a quality fade candidate across the prop board.
The Maple Leafs blueliner isn’t having a particularly effective season offensively. He has 22 points in 49 contests and his outlook is diminished by the recent special teams shuffling.
No longer running point on the power play significantly dampens his chances of topping this prop. Rielly has recorded two-plus shots in just two of his last 10 games.
This wasn’t a line Rielly was clearing with much frequency even before the shake-up. Rielly has one shot or fewer in 27 outings this season.
Ottawa doesn’t surrender many pucks on goal. It’s ceding the 10th-fewest shots per game (27.2).
Giroux to score 1+ points (-105): Giroux isn’t the elite playmaker he once was, but he’s still capable of providing offence.
The versatile veteran has 30 points in 48 games. His production is up recently, as he has six points in his last eight contests.
Giroux’s placement in Ottawa’s lineup is what makes him an especially appealing pick. He plays with Brady Tkachuk and Shane Pinto on the second line while skating on the top power play.
Toronto is struggling to keep the puck out of the net, allowing three-plus goals in seven consecutive contests.
Picks made at 10:42 a.m. ET on 01/25/2025.
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.