Skip to main content

Bruins vs. Maple Leafs Prediction & Odds: Thursday's NHL Playoffs Expert Pick

Gary Pearson

Last Updated: May 2, 2024 5:34 PM EDT • 3 min 5 sec read.

Matthew Knies celebrates with William Nylander after scoring the game-winning goal in Game 5 as we dive into our expert predictions for Game 6 of the Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs series.
Matthew Knies celebrates with William Nylander after scoring the game-winning goal in Game 5 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 30, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP via AFP

The Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Boston Bruins to Scotiabank Arena for Thursday's Game 6, and we offer our Bruins vs. Maple Leafs prediction and expert picks for this pivotal clash based on the best NHL odds.

The Toronto Maple Leafs (46-26-10), thanks to Matthew Knies, staved off elimination with an epic and historic overtime win in Game 5 against the Boston Bruins (47-20-15).

Toronto can extend the series again on Thursday in Game 6, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario. The Maple Leafs will have to do it the hard way, as head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed Thursday afternoon that Auston Matthews is unavailable for Game 6. 

Despite their victory, the Maple Leafs remain the underdogs in the Stanley Cup odds, ranked 10th compared to the Bruins at seventh. However, our best sports betting sites slightly favor Toronto to win Game 6.

Here is our best Bruins vs. Maple Leafs prediction and NHL pick (odds via our best NHL betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Bruins vs. Maple Leafs prediction for Thursday

Bruins to win ⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you're a Bruins fan, you'd be forgiven for thinking, here we go again. If you're a Maple Leafs fan, Knies' Game 5 overtime goal would have caused a rash of emotions more raw and unchecked than a baby's bum after being left unattended for far too long. Speaking of far too long, can you recall the last time the Maple Leafs beat the Bruins in a playoff series? 

Unless you're in your 70s and fortunate enough to have a memory as sharp as Jeremy Swayman's play, recalling when Toronto last defeated Boston in the postseason is a fruitless task, much like putting your faith in Sheldon Keefe. For you historians, the Maple Leafs last beat the Bruins in 1958-59, a thrilling seven-game series from what I've read. 

A run of six straight playoff defeats has the hockey world wondering whether this is the season the Maple Leafs finally vanquish their 65-year B's curse. While a more likely scenario than Toronto ending its 57-year Stanley Cup drought, there are too many factors to turn a blind eye to entering Game 6. 

The big, bad B's were brutal in Game 5. Outshot 14-4 midway through the second, the B's played with a palpable nervousness probably attributed to their collective PTSD from last season's first-round meltdown. Expect a much better Bruins performance, as Brad Marchand and Co. would agree to a bear-knuckle brawl with a behemoth bear to avoid a similar first-round fate. 

While I'm sure they packed their overnight bags begrudgingly, the Bruins won't fear a trip to Toronto, where they've won five straight dating back to the 2022-23 campaign, including Games 3 and 4. Much like the Maple Leafs, the Bruins are far from inferior in enemy rinks, embodying their captain's adornment for portraying the antagonist. The Bruins were the third-best road team in the regular season, one spot ahead of the Maple Leafs.

Contrastingly, the Maple Leafs were tied with the Nashville Predators for the 18th-ranked home record and have lost six straight playoff games in their own barn. The Bruins were 3-for-6 with the man advantage in Games 3 and 4, and the Maple Leafs were 0-for-8.

Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery should give the starting nod to Swayman, who has done his best to dethrone Marchand as Toronto's public enemy No. 1.

Swayman is the gatekeeper and the key to a Bruins' Game 6 win. On Tuesday, the Maple Leafs triumphed over Swayman for the first time in eight attempts. However, Swayman hasn't allowed more than two goals against the Maple Leafs in eight straight, a run of games in which he has a goals-against average of 1.25 dating back to the end of the 2021-22 season. 

If he adds another sublime performance to his grocery list of sensational outings against Toronto, the Bruins should prevail and add to the ever-heightening consternation in Maple Leafs' nation.   

Best odds: -110 via Betway

Up To $250 First Bet Reset

Terms and conditions apply.

Play Now
Sportsbook Review may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook betting site. 21+. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly

Not intended for use in MA
Affiliate Disclosure: Sportsbook Review may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook

Bruins vs. Maple Leafs Game 6 info & odds

  • When: Thursday, May 2
  • Puck drop: 8 p.m. ET
  • Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
  • How to watch: ESPN, Sportsnet
  • Favorite: Maple Leafs (-120 via Betway)

Bruins-Maple Leafs predictions made Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET.

Here are our best NHL betting sites:

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Related pages

Written By:
Gary Pearson
Gary Pearson is a sports writer specializing in hockey, soccer, NFL, and tennis coverage. He has 10 years of industry experience and has contributed to various publications, including BetMGM, Covers.com, the Hockey Writers, Yardbarker, NJ.com, the Miami Herald, the Canadian Press, and the Calgary Herald.