Auston Matthews and Tyler Bertuzzi look poised to find the scoresheet in a tight Wednesday matchup versus Dallas
The Leafs were riding high coming off an exciting All-Star weekend before losing to the Islanders Monday night in a tough 3-2 game. Tonight they get to play host to a Stars that is coming off a hard-fought win over the Sabres last night. The 2-1 victory was led by netminder Jake Oettinger, who made a whopping 47 saves. Dallas now gets the daunting task of winning both legs of a back-to-back and will rely on expected starter Scott Wedgewood, with the Brampton native repping a goals against average of 2.95 and a save percentage of .888 in his last nine appearances.
The Stars should have an uphill battle dealing with fatigue and a rough history versus Toronto that has seen them drop five straight in this matchup. Luckily for them, they go against a Leafs team that has struggled to keep the puck out of their net at home with the seventh-most goals against per home game with a 3.43 average. Dallas should have a chance if they can get their offense going early as they rank third in the league in goals per game with a 3.66 average.
It should be a tight matchup with the Stars looking to bounce back and stay in the Central division race with the Avalanche right behind, and the Leafs are looking to regain some momentum for the back of the season as head coach Sheldon Keefe told media Tuesday that they plan to find consistency and get prepared for the playoffs. It may be the marquee matchup of the night and if you plan to watch the Stars take on the Leafs and want some added incentive, here is our best bet for tonight’s game that should earn you some cash.
All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Please gamble responsibly.
Pick: Auston Matthews anytime goal (-120)
The All-Star game MVP didn’t score in his first game back versus the Islanders and will look to not make it a habit. Matthews has a great history versus the Stars with nine goals in his last ten games and only going without a goal in three of his career games against Dallas. He will also get the added boost of going against a tired Dallas team that could force them into a tight game as they will look to keep their four game winning streak alive and take advantage of the Leafs weak home defense.
Pick: Tyler Bertuzzi over 0.5 points (+140)
The Sudbury native is going through the worst goal drought of his career at 15 games and will look to get his chances. Last time these two played each other earlier this season, Bertuzzi found the back of the net against Wedgewood and it was his third goal in his last four games versus Dallas. He is also expected to play with centre John Tavares and All-Star William Nylander, who have both played below their standards as of late with Nylander only grabbing points in three of his last ten games. He should get on the board tonight with help from Bertuzzi.