Panthers vs. Maple Leafs Player Props: Game 1 Odds & NHL Expert Picks for Monday, May 5

The Toronto Maple Leafs hope for a better fate than the last time they faced the Florida Panthers in the postseason as we offer our Game 1 player props.

Gary Pearson

Last updated: May 5, 2025 6:45 AM EDT • 4 min read

Panthers vs. Maple Leafs Player Props: Game 1 Odds & NHL Expert Picks for Monday, May 5 — Pictured: Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares carries the puck against the Ottawa Senators. Photo by John E. Sokolowski via Imagn Images.

The Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs renew playoff hostilities for the second time in the last three years as we offer our Panthers vs. Maple Leafs player props and NHL picks for Game 1.

The Stanley Cup odds front-runners, the Panthers, are the marginal favorites to take tonight's game at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). The below picks feature Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, Bobby McMann, and John Tavares.

🏒 Best Panthers vs. Maple Leafs player prop bets: Game 1

✅ Sam Bennett Over 0.5 points (+100 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
✅ Bobby McMann Over 1.5 shots (-130 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐
✅ John Tavares Over 2.5 shots (+100 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
✅ Matthew Tkachuk Over 0.5 assists (+130 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

🥅 Our best NHL player props tonight for Panthers vs. Maple Leafs

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🚨 Sam Bennett Over 0.5 points ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bennett was one of the Panthers' most effective players in the first round, making his presence felt physically and on the scoresheet. He scored at least one point in four of five games against the Tampa Bay Lightning, finishing the series with five.

The other reason to back him is his recent exploits against the Maple Leafs, against whom he's bagged a point in five straight regular-season games, amassing eight overall.

He had two points in Game 1 in the second round of the 2022-23 playoffs, the last time these teams met in the dance. Our best sports betting sites offer +100, and a winning $10 bet will profit $10.

While we're at it, I'd also take Bennett to fire at least three shots on goal. He accomplished that feat in four of five games against the Maple Leafs in that same playoff series and hit the Over on the same ratio of games in the first round against the Lightning. Those odds can be found at a longer -135.

💰 Best odds: +100 via DraftKings

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🚨 Bobby McMann Over 1.5 shots ⭐⭐⭐

McMann hit the Over in three of the last four games against the Ottawa Senators and had at least two shots against in two of his previous three meetings with the Cats. The Panthers were one of the best shot suppression teams on the road in the regular season, allowing the fourth-fewest (26.3).

With that in mind, a lower shot total is even more appealing. Game 1 feels like a contest fit for a role player of McMann's physical stature to bulldoze his way to cashing the Over. A winning $10 wager at bet365 will profit $7.41.

💰 Best odds: -135 via bet365

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🚨 John Tavares Over 2.5 shots ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tavares let me down in Game 6 against the Sens, failing to hit the Over for the second time in six opening-round contests. That's okay, though, as it was the first time this prop didn't cash in recent memory.

He's been a consistent producer and a profitable option. He's also been productive against the Cats, hitting the Over in six of 10 previous regular-season meetings and four of five games last time they squared off in the playoffs.

Our best sports betting apps are in agreement, offering +100 odds. Those odds imply a 50% probability and would profit $10 on a winning $10 bet.

💰 Best odds: +100 via BetMGM

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🚨 Matthew Tkachuk Over 0.5 assists ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tkachuk is at his irritating best against the Maple Leafs, and I can't see that changing for Game 1. He scored at least one helper in the last three regular-season meetings with Toronto and amassed four in the first two games of the 2022-23 second-round playoff series.

He's also used to hitting the Over on his shots prop against the Buds, but I'm going with the higher-value assists option. A winning $10 bet would profit $13.

💰 Best odds: +130 via bet365

🚀 Best same-game parlay (SGP)

🧪 Want to make your own SGP? Check out our NEW parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay.

📈 Live Panthers vs. Maple Leafs odds

Latest Panthers vs. Maple Leafs odds from our best sports betting apps.

🪧 Game 1 opening odds

Opening odds via BetMGM.

Puck line: Panthers -1.5 (+200) | Maple Leafs +1.5 (-250)
Moneyline: Panthers -125 | Maple Leafs +105
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (+100) | Under 5.5 (-120)

🚑 Panthers vs. Maple Leafs injury report: Game 1

📡 How to watch Panthers vs. Maple Leafs live (Game 1)

📅 Monday, May 5
🕗 8 p.m. ET
📍 Scotiabank Arena (Toronto)
📺 ESPN, Sportsnet | 🛜 ESPN+, Sportsnet+

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Written By:
Gary Pearson

Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.