The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings meet for a Thanksgiving matinee at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.
The pregame narrative: This game has a 2:00 p.m. ET start to accommodate Toronto fans looking to catch the Maple Leafs and Blue Jays games back-to-back. The Maple Leafs played the Red Wings on Saturday, losing 6-3, and hope for a better result in Easton Cowan’s NHL debut.
Check out my Maple Leafs vs. Red Wings picks, featuring prop bets on Morgan Rielly and William Nylander.
Red Wings vs. Maple Leafs picks
Best bet: Over 6 goals (-110)
Toronto was down 4-3 late in Saturday’s game before Detroit added a pair of empty net goals to secure its first win of the season.
I expect another high-scoring affair today.
The Leafs don’t have a goalie confirmed as of 9:25 a.m., but I have a suspicion it will be backup Cayden Primeau. Anthony Stolarz has played two games already, and Toronto is back in action tomorrow night against the Nashville Predators.
Primeau posted a 4.70 GAA and .836 SV% last season.
But even if Stolarz gets the crease, I can see him giving up a few after allowing four goals on 33 shots in his last start.
Keep an eye on official updates ahead of puck drop.
On the other end is Cam Talbot, who was good but not great against the Leafs on Saturday, giving up three goals on 23 shots (.870 SV%).
Talbot ranked outside of the top 25 in GAA and SV% last year, posting an .817 SV% in three games against Toronto.
Key stat: The over on this total is 3-0-1 in the last four games between Toronto and Detroit.
Maple Leafs prop predictions
Nylander 1+ power play points (+195): If you want a safer bet here, taking the Maple Leafs to record a power play goal carries -114 odds.
Toronto is one of four teams yet to score on the man advantage, going 0-for-4 through two games.
That won’t last forever, though, and I think today’s the day the unit gets on the board.
The Maple Leafs had the eighth-best PP rate (24.8%) in the NHL last season. Losing Mitch Marner (the team’s top PP producer) is a big blow, but the top unit is still stacked with elite talent.
Skating alongside Nylander are Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, John Tavares and Rielly.
Nylander’s 30 PP points ranked second to Marner last season. The Swede’s 65 PP points from 2023-2025 were the most on the Leafs.
Rielly 1+ point (-106): In a perfect world, we cash Rielly and Nylander’s props on the same play, given that they’re on the same PP unit.
But I also like the defenceman’s chances of producing at even strength after his red-hot start.
- Rielly has one goal and three assists, finding the stat sheet in both games.
- The 31-year-old has played 20+ minutes both nights, and he ranks second on the team in chances (i.e shot attempts) with 13.
Toronto wanted more production out of its highest-paid defenceman heading into this season, and so far, Rielly has delivered.
Red Wings vs. Maple Leafs picks made at 9:45 a.m. ET 10/13/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.