The Atlantic Division is turning out to be a dogfight with three serious contenders for the top seed. The defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers remain the leaders but the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning aren’t far behind.
With less than 20 games remaining for each team, if moves are going to be made it’s soon as the window is closing on some current values presented.
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A value that will quickly go away is the Leafs to win the Atlantic at +170 odds on Bet365. These odds quickly fluctuate with them being as high as +260 within the last few days as the Leafs are starting to gain ground.
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Florida and Toronto face off on Thursday night with the Leafs having a chance to surpass the Panthers with a win. Florida has 83 regular season points due to a 40-22-3 record while Toronto has a similar record with just one fewer win and 81 points.
They will face off two more times after Thursday, which will play a pivotal role in the race but besides that the Leafs have the 12th-easiest remaining strength of schedule while the Panthers have the 13th-hardest.
Both teams will have nine road games left with Toronto playing easier competition like San Jose, Anaheim and Buffalo while Florida will have to play much tougher teams like the Lightning, Capitals and Blue Jackets.
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The odds and trends are all pointing towards Toronto and the tide is quickly turning so you don’t want to miss out. If you even wait until after Thursday’s highly-anticipated matchup, you may be too late.
