Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Philadelphia Flyers: Picks, Predictions, Odds and Player Props

The Philadelphia Flyers are hanging on to a play-off spot amid a defensive injury crisis, but their rivals are lining up behind them and the pressure is unlikely to ease when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit Wells Fargo Center.

It has been a typically frustrating season for Leafs fans, as is to be expected from a team with a stellar offense but middling defense. Still, barring anything extremely unusual happening, they are going to end up third in the Atlantic Division and comfortably make the play-offs.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Philadelphia Flyers betting picks and predictions

Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 (+180)

Toronto are largely going through the motions as we head towards the end of the regular season with their finishing position all but certain, but the lack of pressure seems to have brought out the best in them.

The Leafs saw a seven-game win streak snapped when Vegas came to town at the end of February, but they are 5-2-1 since that loss with both regulation-time defeats coming against the Eastern Conference-best Boston Bruins.

Toronto let slip a 3-0 lead to lose in a shootout to Carolina last time out. Their heads might drop after a result like that, but they should be confident of bouncing back against a Flyers team they beat 6-2 on Thursday.

As for Philadelphia, they have lost three of their last four, which includes the aforementioned 6-2 loss to the Leafs and a 7-0 blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Flyers were hugely flattered by the 6-5 scoreline when the Bruins did their best to throw away an easy win on Saturday following Philadelphia's thrashing by the Leafs two days earlier.

The head-to-head is particularly ugly, with Toronto having taken the last eight meetings with six of those wins coming by at least three goals.

Over 1.5 first-period goals (-135)

Philadelphia is really struggling with defensive injuries and a lack of depth at that position has hung inexperienced goalie Samuel Ersson out to dry.

The Swedish stopper surrendered three first-period goals before being pulled in Thursday's loss to the Leafs and it is unlikely to take Toronto long to get on the scoreboard.

Auston Matthews' 55 goals leads the NHL and no Eastern Conference team has more than the Leafs' tally of 241 goals scored.

Toronto haven't recorded a shutout since January 25 and the Flyers are capable of punishing teams who go into games against them expecting an easy win. Philadelphia have scored in the opening 20 minutes of eight of their last ten games.

All of the Flyers' last four games have seen at least two goals in the opening stanza and it is worth backing that run to be extended.

Tyler Bertuzzi Over 0.5 points (+100)

It would be fair to say Tyler Bertuzzi has not delivered what was expected when the Maple Leafs picked him up during the off-season.

However, he continues to chip in offensive contributions and is the type of player to thrive against a sub-standard defense, as he showed when registering a goal and an assist in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Flyers, as well as having a goal disallowed after video review.

The 29-year-old ended February by recording four straight games with at least a point, including a hat-trick in an impressive 4-3 win in Colorado.

Playing on Matthews's wing obviously increases his chances of making a contribution and Bertuzzi looks an attractive bet to add at least a point to his tally.

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Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Philadelphia Flyers odds

PHI Flyers	+115 ML
TOR Maple Leafs	-135 ML
Puck Line	TOR -1.5
Total	O/U 6.5

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Philadelphia Flyers player props

Anytime Goalscorer

Auston Matthews (TOR)	-125
John Tavares (TOR)	+160
William Nylander (TOR)	+160
Travis Konecny (PHI)	+150
Owen Tippett (PHI)	+160
Tyler Bertuzzi (TOR)	+220

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.