Vegas Golden Knights vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Prediction, NHL Odds
Mitch Marner returns to Toronto on Friday night as the Vegas Golden Knights visit the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Fans have had this game marked on their calendars since the day Marner signed in Vegas last offseason. After nine seasons in a Leafs uniform and a bit of a messy breakup, how will Leafs nation receive their hometown boy?
The NHL odds have Vegas listed as a -120 favourite to win on the road. The OVER/UNDER is set at an even 6.0 goals, with puck drop from Scotiabank Arena set for 7 p.m. EST.
Golden Knights vs. Maple Leafs NHL Betting Odds
This will be the second and final meeting of the season between these squads, after Vegas pulled off a come-from-behind 6-5 overtime win just over a week ago. Jack Eichel carried the Knights in that win with four points (1G, 3A), while Marner had a pair of assists in his first game against his former squad. That game hit the OVER, marking the sixth OVER in their past eight meetings. In those eight games, Vegas is 5-2-1 going all the way back to January of 2022.
The Golden Knights have been filling the net lately, scoring 42 goals in their past 10 games, averaging out to 4.2 goals per game. They have played the OVER/UNDER 6-3-1 in that stretch, putting them 23-19-6 on the year. Their recent scoring surge has pushed them into the top five of league scoring.
Toronto sits right behind Vegas as the sixth-highest scoring team in the league, averaging 3.32 goals per game. The Leafs’ most recent outing was low scoring, snapping a streak of five straight games that went to the OVER. They have hit the OVER in 28 of their 50 games, putting them amongst the league leaders in the category.
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas has lost back-to-back games after opening its four-game Atlantic Division swing with a loss in Boston last night. The Golden Knights looked horrible in the first, giving up three goals in less than a minute. The Bruins scored again in the second to go up four zip heading into the third, where Vegas would attempt to mount a comeback. Jack Eichel (18th) would score just 31 seconds into the third, before Tomas Hertl (21st) and Pavel Dorofeyev (21st) would each pot one to bring them within one goal. A failed attempt with their net empty would result in a 4-3 final.
Eichel has been on an absolute heater in the new year, picking up 18 points, six goals, and 12 assists on a 10-game point streak. Captain Mark Stone is riding a 13-game point streak of his own with 20 points (10G, 10A) as the Knights’ top line continues to carry the offensive load.
Mitch Marner will definitely draw tons of attention on Friday as he returns to Toronto for the first time. He got a taste of what to expect when he faced the Leafs at home just over a week ago, as Leafs fans made their voices heard, booing him every time he touched the puck. It is shaping up to be a tough night for him, as the boos will likely start earlier and be much louder.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Leafs opened their current five-game homestand with back-to-back losses, Monday against Minnesota and Wednesday against the rival Red Wings. They have been inconsistent all season, with more cold streaks than hot ones, dragging them down to sixth in the Atlantic Division.
Monday was a tough loss to the Detroit Red Wings, but they did manage to get a point in the 2-1 overtime loss. Scott Laughton (seventh) opened the scoring in the first, but the Red Wings tallied late in the first to tie things up. A scoreless second and third period sent the game to overtime, where Detroit completely took control, outshooting the Leafs 6-0 and potting the game-winner.
Goaltender Joseph Woll was Toronto’s best player in that loss, stopping 39 of 41 shots to keep the Leafs in the mix. Captain Auston Matthews had his three-game point streak snapped in the game, proving that the team’s offence lives and dies on his stick. The Leafs need their depth pieces to step up big time on Friday, as leading scorer William Nylander will miss his fourth straight game with a groin injury.
Toronto is still in the mix to make the postseason, sitting just three points out of a wildcard spot, and the NHL Futures Board has them as a +140 to make it in.
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