The Ottawa Senators aim to boost their playoff hopes with a fourth straight victory on home ice when they host the rapidly fading Toronto Maple Leafs in Saturday night NHL betting action at Canadian Tire Centre.

The Senators are coming off a 3-2 victory over the visiting New York Islanders on Thursday night to improve to 12-3-2 in their past 17 games and climb to within five points of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Maple Leafs’ freefall continued with Friday’s 4-3 loss to Carolina. The club has now dropped 11 of 13 decisions since the Olympic break, and sit alongside at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings, 12 points out of postseason contention with just 12 games remaining.

The Senators lead the way as lofty -280 favourites NHL odds. The Maple Leafs trail as +220 underdogs on the NHL moneyline, and the total is listed at 6.0.

Maple Leafs vs. Senators NHL Betting Odds

While the Maple Leafs managed to dispose of Ottawa in six games when these clubs met in last season’s NHL playoffs, the Senators have held the upper hand in regular season action, claiming the win in seven of nine meetings since the start of the 2023/2024 campaign, capped by a 5-2 victory in Toronto on February 28.

The Sens have also topped the Leafs in two straight at home, snapping a four-game slide, and have limited Toronto shooters to two or fewer goals in five of seven regular season clashes. Low scoring has been commonplace when the Senators have played of late, with the total topping 5.0 just twice during a 6-2 run for the UNDER, and four of their past five home dates have been settled by just a single goal.

The Leafs’ previously vaunted attack has fizzled during their club’s plunge towards the basement of the Eastern Conference standings, averaging just 2.38 goals over their current 2-7-4 slide. The club has also been outscored by a combined 8-3 margin in first-period action while losing six of seven on the road, and have not been helped by a power play that has failed to score in four games.

Toronto Maple Leafs

William Nylander snapped a three-game goalscoring drought with a third-period marker on Friday night that gave the Leafs a chance to win. Nylander has been one of just a handful of Leafs shooters that have generated offence as the club plays out the string on a lost season, cracking the scoresheet in nine of 11 outings overall, and seven of nine on the road, and should be backed as a -250 bet on the NHL player props to tally a least one point on Saturday.

Mattias Macelli has flourished while getting top-line minutes. The 25-year-old Finn set up a pair of goals in Friday’s loss, and has recorded a goal and five helpers over the past six games, and picked up an assist in last month’s loss to the Senators. However, he has generated just three total points over his past seven road appearances. Matthew Knies enters Saturday’s action pointless in his past two outings, while John Tavares potted just his second goal in 11 games on Friday night.

Ottawa Senators

The Senators overcame multiple early deficits for the second time in four games in Thursday’s 3-2 victory over the Islanders, but must overcome their tendency to stumble out of the gate after scoring in the opening frame in just two of their past seven games. The Sens power play has also sputtered, generating offence in just two of their past seven contests.

The supporting cast gave the club a chance to win on Thursday, with Shane Pinto and Warren Foegele finding the mark before Brady Tkachuk potted the inner with just 13 seconds remaining. That snapped a five-game scoring drought for Pinto, who has picked up three points in four games and turned in a pair of multi-point performances this month.

That production is timely considering some of the struggles faced by the Sens top producers. Tim Stutzle has picked up just one point in four games, and just one goal in six outings. It has also ben feast or famine for Drake Batherson, who has scored in just four of 20 games, with multi-goal performances in each of those four contests.

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Maple Leafs vs. Senators?