Ottawa Cashes Big as Underdogs; Series Shifts Back to Toronto With Leafs Still Favoured
OTTAWA – Bettors holding Ottawa tickets had plenty to celebrate Saturday night! Jake Sanderson played the overtime hero at 17:42 of the extra frame, firing a seeing-eye wrister past Anthony Stolarz to give the Senators a stunning 4-3 win over the heavily favoured Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 at Canadian Tire Centre.
Ottawa, priced around +160 on the moneyline pregame, not only avoided elimination but also cashed nicely for those who believed the Sens would extend the series.
How It Happened: Line Movement and Live Odds
- Ottawa jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on goals from Tim Stutzle (power play) and Shane Pinto (shorthanded).
- Toronto clawed back, and live betting had the Leafs as -150 favourites heading into overtime.
- After killing off a four-minute power play in OT — including heavy pressure from Toronto’s elite unit — the Senators flipped the script.
Sanderson’s goal hit the “Over” (5.5) for totals bettors and sent puckline players scrambling as the Senators covered both +1.5 and outright ML bets.
Betting Trends to Watch:
- Toronto is now 1-12 in playoff elimination games since 2017 — a stat that will haunt Leafs bettors as Game 5 looms.
- Ottawa improved to 4-2 ATS (against the spread) in their last six playoff games as underdogs.
- The “Over” has now hit in three straight games in this series.
Key Player Props:
- Jake Sanderson scored (+700 anytime scorer at most books) and added an assist.
- William Nylander quietly collected two assists (+170 for Over 0.5 assists).
- Brady Tkachuk led all players with seven hits — smashing his hit prop Over.
Goalie Watch:
Linus Ullmark — who faced serious doubt entering the series — made 31 saves and looked every bit like a former Vezina winner. His “Over 29.5 saves” prop cleared easily.
Series Outlook:
- Series Price (Updated):
- Maple Leafs: -550
- Senators: +400
- Game 5 Line (Early Look):
- Toronto: -185
- Ottawa: +155
- Total: 6 (O/U)
Expect the Leafs to remain sizeable home favourites, but momentum — and some betting value — is creeping Ottawa’s way if you believe in playoff magic.
Betting Takeaway:
Ottawa just proved again that playoff hockey is pure chaos. Underdog bettors are loving it. If you believe in momentum, the Sens at +155 for Game 5 could be a very intriguing live dog.
