Matthews returns to ignite the Leafs offense against the Blue Jackets, aiming to snap a frustrating losing streak and reclaim dominance.
On Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs square off against a familiar opponent that has consistently given them trouble in the Columbus Blue Jackets. One of Toronto’s seven losses in their last eight outings came just last week in a 3–2 overtime defeat to Columbus, adding to a troubling trend in which the Blue Jackets have won five of the last six meetings between the teams. The Leafs will try to reverse that momentum and will benefit from key reinforcements, as Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, and Nicolas Roy are all set to return to the lineup.
Columbus, meanwhile, will be without leading scorer Kirill Marchenko, an enormous loss for a team that is 0–8 without him dating back to the start of the 2023–24 season. The Jackets will, however, get a boost with the return of Norris Trophy finalist Zach Werenski, who will be relied upon heavily to help fill the void. It all sets the stage for a compelling matchup on the eve of American Thanksgiving.
For those unfamiliar with the Pad Stack challenge, the goal is simple: start with $10 and build it steadily through disciplined, well-researched wagers. Our hottest run of the season reached $411.47 before a late empty-net goal by the Florida Panthers derailed our Vancouver spread and ended the streak. Now, we hit the reset button and look to begin a new climb with a confident pick in tonight’s marquee matchup, one we believe can set the tone and get us rolling again.
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Picks: Leafs ML & Auston Matthews Anytime Goal (+221)
The Leafs are long overdue for a bounce-back performance in this spot, given their recent losing skid, Columbus being without Marchenko, and the motivation that comes from suffering their worst loss of the season against their biggest rival in the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night. Toronto looks like the clear play here, but the public has not fully committed, with the odds sitting at -110 for both sides and only 60 percent of bettors siding with the Leafs.
The Blue Jackets do hold the historical advantage in this matchup, as they have routinely beaten Toronto in recent meetings, and they will also have home ice on their side. It is unusual to see the Leafs listed as underdogs on the puck line, but it is understandable given how poorly they have performed against the spread this season with a 7-15 record. Even their record as an underdog has been underwhelming at 3-2. If Toronto is going to get back on track and grind out a tough win, they will need their captain at full strength.
Auston Matthews has points in only one of his last three games, but overall he has started to heat up again. He has four goals and two assists over his last six games and has historically dominated Columbus. The 28-year-old has recorded points in 15 of his last 19 games against the Blue Jackets, with 16 goals and 14 assists for 30 points, including ten multi-point efforts.
Before going pointless in his last two trips to Columbus, Matthews had a five-game multi-point streak in the building with six goals and seven assists for 13 points in seven road games. Toronto will need him more than ever in this matchup, and the former first overall pick is well positioned to deliver in what should be a thrilling showdown.
A $10 wager on this same-game parlay would return $22.17, giving us a total of $32.17 to work with heading into Black Friday.
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