Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Nashville Predators Prediction, NHL Odds
It’s a potential trap game for the Maple Leafs on Saturday night as they are in the front end of a back-to-back when they visit the Nashville Predators for the lone time this season. Toronto is a -135 favourite on the NHL odds with a total of 6.5.
Maple Leafs vs. Predators NHL Betting Odds
This is the first game of the Hockey Night in Canada doubleheader followed by Vegas at Calgary. Nashville thought it had taken the next step to legitimate Stanley Cup contender in the summer of 2024 when it signed former Lightning All-Star and future Hall of Famer Steven Stamkos, a Markham native, to a huge free-agent deal. But that has been a mega-bust.
Now 35, Stamkos is a shell of his former self and the Predators collapsed to just 68 points and missed the playoffs. They are on track to do so again, although playing better lately. Certainly the seat of third-year head coach Andrew Brunette, a Valley East, Ontario native, was getting warm until that recent turnaround. To reach the post-season, Nashville is +700 with No at -1100. It might be a seller at the trade deadline for the second year in a row.
The Leafs look to sweep the series for the first time in three years thanks to a 7-4 home win on Oct. 14. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and John Tavares each had a goal and two assists, and Auston Matthews had two goals as Maple Leafs scored at least twice in every period, but that was against seldom-used Nashville backup Justus Annunen. Toronto started seldom-used Cayden Primeau in net.
Toronto has dropped its past two in Nashville but is still 7-3 in the past 10 meetings overall. The over-under is 4-6.
Toronto Maple Leafs
This three-game road trip didn’t start well in a 4-0 loss at Washington on Thursday – the first time the Leafs have been blanked this season. Toronto was good on special teams, going 0-for-5 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. And they outhit the Caps 27-13 and won the faceoff circle (54.2 per cent). Really just one of those game where Washington netminder Logan Thompson was really feeling it as he pitched his second shutout of the year. His 2.00 GAA is second in the league. Nicholas Robertson recorded six shots, tying a single-game career high. Dennis Hildeby stopped 25 of 29 shots but it should be Joseph Woll on Saturday. He was terrific in a return from an injury absence on Tuesday, allowing two goals on 25 shots in a wild win over Chicago. The under is 7-1 in Toronto’s past eight.
Nashville Predators
Nashville has the rest advantage as it has been off since a 4-1 home loss to Carolina on Wednesday but still has won five of eight. The Predators didn’t find the net in that one until 8:06 in the third and already down 3-0. Filip Forsberg had it, his team-leading 15th goal of the year. He had a hat trick in the previous
game, his 11th career. That’s three shy of tying the league record for a Swedish player held by Kent Nilsson. Netminder Juuse Saros had been really good this month but wasn’t quite as sharp in stopping 33 of 36 shots to fall to 8-6-2 at home with a 2.77 GAA and .909 SV. Normally I’d say he’d almost surely be back in there Saturday but it is the front end of a back-to-back so it could be struggling backup Justus Annunen (1-5-1, 3.73 GAA, .865 SV). I’m sure the Leafs would prefer that. Winger Jonathan Marchessault (10 points) left with a lower-body injury. Forward Cole Smith returned to the lineup on Wednesday after missing 19 games due to injury. Nashville is 4-2 in the past six at home vs. Toronto.
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