The Leafs have seen six or more goals in three straight at home and should again versus Jets despite tight goalie matchup
The Jets have been on an unbelievable tear, far from their 12-8-2 start when heading into December, they now sit with the second highest odds to win the Stanley Cup with Canadian teams around them with the Oilers taking the top spot as the betting favourite and the Canucks in the three spot. The Canadian team that people thought would be in this conversation is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who ranked seventh in The Hockey News’ pre-season power rankings
The Buds have had a disappointing year with a 3.27 goals against per game average but do have the bright spot of a top five offense with a near three and a half goal per game average that has them tied with the Red Wings. Their problem has been closing out games as of late with a -9 goal differential in the third period over their last seven games with 11 third period goals allowed during that span that ties them with the Wild and Canadiens for second-worst in the league.
Toronto did manage to close out a tough 2-1 win over the Kraken in their last game Sunday night but will they be able to do it again against one of the hottest teams in the league. It should make for an exciting matchup and if you want to get in on the action, here is our best bet on the game that should help you get a win.
All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Please gamble responsibly.
Pick: Over 5.5 goals (-150)
Both goalies in this one make an excellent case for the under with Ilya Samsonov making a bit of a comeback after being sent down to the minors with a horrible start to his season but since coming back only allowing four goals in two starts and stopping 36 of 40 shots.
He’s a goalie known for getting into slumps or hot streaks and when meeting with media Tuesday, he spoke to being down for a couple months but feeling back and more motivated ever. He matches up against Laurent Brossoit, who’s been red hot with a 2.18 goals against average this season, allowing two or fewer goals in seven of his 11 starts this season.
So both netminders seem poised for a close game but something always gives when playing in Toronto with the six or more goals becoming routine for Leafs fans this season, hitting in 16 of their 21 home games. The Buds also aren’t a great home team, ranking in the bottom seven of the league with a 10-9-2 record and the third-most goals allowed per home game with a 3.62 average.
One thing will lead to another and the Leafs will find themselves in another high-scoring home game as they always do as they also have the seventh-best home offense which means they will be able to respond.