It’s been a disappointing year for the Chicago Blackhawks, who sit dead last in the NHL following a 6-3 home loss against Columbus on Sunday. It’s been much more positive for Toronto, who won 5-3 in Tampa Bay on Saturday and now trail Florida by just one point for the lead in the Atlantic Division.

The Leafs are -400 favourites to win on the NHL odds, with the total set at 6.0.

Blackhawks vs. Maple Leafs NHL Betting Odds

Chicago has won three straight games against Toronto, although the teams haven’t met in over a calendar year. High scoring contests have been a trend, with the Over hitting in five of the last six head-to-heads.

It hasn’t been an easy year for the Blackhawks and it only gets tougher on Monday. Chicago has won just four of 14 road games this season, while the Maple Leafs are a stellar 10-3 at home.

These teams also trend in opposite directions when it comes to interconference games. The Hawks have lost six of their last seven contests against Eastern Conference teams and Toronto is 16-4 straight up in their last 20 against the West.

The Leafs have been a surprisingly good cover option through the first couple of months of the season. Toronto is a solid 15-8 against the spread, including 9-4 ATS at home. Conversely, Chicago is an even 12-12 ATS overall, including 7-7 ATS on the road.

Both teams have played the Under in a majority of games this year and there’s reason to believe that trend could continue on Monday. The total has gone Under in seven of the Leafs’ last eight home dates, while the Blackhawks have gone below the number in six straight on the road.

Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago didn’t manage to get the win on Sunday, but it has to be encouraging that Connor Bedard notched his second goal in his last three games. Prior to that stretch, the second-year player had gone 12 straight games without a goal. Last year’s Calder Trophy winner is leading the team in points with 19 (5G, 14A), but he’s going through a major sophomore slump with his points-per-game average plummeting compared to last year. Bedard has generated three or more shots just twice in his last 10 games and his shooting percentage on the year is three per cent lower than last season.

With Petr Mrazek playing on Sunday, Arvid Soderblom is expected to get his first start in almost two weeks on Monday. Soderblom last played on November 19, stopping 21 of 24 shots in a 3-2 loss against Anaheim. Despite a 1-4-1 record, Soderblom has posted solid numbers this season, with a 2.36 goals-against average and .926 save percentage. He’s been mostly letdown by a Blackhawks offence that ranks 30th in the NHL in shots per game (26.1).

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Leafs got a big boost to the lineup on Saturday with the return of captain Auston Matthews, who missed the previous nine games with an upper-body injury. Matthews (2A), Mitch Marner (2A), Matthew Knies (1G, 1A) and Chris Tanev (2A) each recorded two-point nights. Knies was also returning to the lineup after missing two games with an ankle injury. It’s Matthews, however, who makes the biggest impact on the team. The total in Toronto games averages 6.4 goals when Matthews is in the lineup, compared to 5.4 when he is out.

Anthony Stolarz was in the starters crease at practice on Monday, so he is expected to get the nod against Chicago. Originally signed to backup Joseph Woll after winning a Stanley Cup with Florida last year, Stolarz has arguably become the No. 1 option in net for the Leafs, although he’s trending in the wrong direction lately. Stolarz (7-4-2, 2.33 GAA, .921 SV) has alternated wins and losses over his last four starts and he’s allowed at least three goals in three of those games. He allowed four goals on 23 shots in a 5-1 loss to Florida on Wednesday.

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Blackhawks vs. Maple Leafs?

• Regular Season

Blackhawks Team Leaders

CHI

Points	Connor Bedard 41
+ / -	Arvid Soderblom 0
Shots	Connor Bedard 112
Penalty Mins	Patrick Maroon 65
Wins	Petr Mrazek 9
GAA	Arvid Soderblom 2.92

TOR

Points	Mitch Marner 67
+ / -	Jake McCabe 13
Shots	William Nylander 166
Penalty Mins	Oliver Ekman-Larsson 36
Wins	Joseph Woll 17
GAA	Anthony Stolarz 2.15

• Regular Season

Maple Leafs Team Leaders

CHI

Points	Connor Bedard 41
+ / -	Arvid Soderblom 0
Shots	Connor Bedard 112
Penalty Mins	Patrick Maroon 65
Wins	Petr Mrazek 9
GAA	Arvid Soderblom 2.92

TOR

Points	Mitch Marner 67
+ / -	Jake McCabe 13
Shots	William Nylander 166
Penalty Mins	Oliver Ekman-Larsson 36
Wins	Joseph Woll 17
GAA	Anthony Stolarz 2.15

Injuries

Chicago

Jason Dickinson (C)

Ques Fri Illness - 22 / 01 / 25

Patrick Maroon (LW)

Ques Fri Back - 20 / 01 / 25

Craig Smith (RW)

Out indefinitely Back - 09 / 01 / 25

Connor Murphy (D)

Out indefinitely Groin - 02 / 01 / 25

Nick Foligno (LW)

Ques Tues Illness - 15 / 12 / 24

Craig Smith (RW)

Out indefinitely Back - 13 / 12 / 24

Petr Mrazek (G)

Out indefinitely Undisclosed - 07 / 12 / 24

Alec Martinez (D)

Out indefinitely Neck - 07 / 12 / 24

Jason Dickinson (C)

Ques Sat Hand - 22 / 11 / 24

Petr Mrazek (G)

Out indefinitely Personal - 19 / 11 / 24

Toronto

Matthew Knies (LW)

Ques Sat Upper Body - 23 / 01 / 25

Connor Dewar (C)

Ques Sat Upper Body - 21 / 01 / 25

Max Pacioretty (LW)

Out indefinitely Upper Body - 20 / 01 / 25

John Tavares (C)

Late Jan Lower Body - 15 / 01 / 25

Jake McCabe (D)

Out indefinitely Upper Body - 06 / 01 / 25

Pontus Holmberg (RW)

Ques Thurs Illness - 31 / 12 / 24

Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D)

Ques Thurs Illness - 31 / 12 / 24

Anthony Stolarz (G)

Out indefinitely Lower Body - 12 / 12 / 24

Jani Hakanpaa (D)

Out indefinitely Lower Body - 02 / 12 / 24

Jake McCabe (D)

Out indefinitely Upper Body - 01 / 12 / 24

Injuries

Chicago

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Jason Dickinson (C)	Ques Fri	Illness - 22 / 01 / 25	1-0	1-0	+ -
Dickinson is ailing from illness, and it is up in the air if he will play against the Lighting on Friday.
Patrick Maroon (LW)	Ques Fri	Back - 20 / 01 / 25	2-0	2-0	+ -
Maroon is dealing with a back injury, and it is unclear if he will suit up against the Lighting on Friday.
Craig Smith (RW)	Out indefinitely	Back - 09 / 01 / 25	5-3	6-2	+ -
Smith is fighting off a back injury, and there is no timetable for his recovery.
Connor Murphy (D)	Out indefinitely	Groin - 02 / 01 / 25	6-4	7-2-1	+ -
Murphy has been placed on the injured reserve with a groin injury, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.
Nick Foligno (LW)	Ques Tues	Illness - 15 / 12 / 24	10-8	11-5-2	+ -
Foligno is ailing with an illness, and it is undetermined if he will suit up against the Capitals on Tuesday.
Craig Smith (RW)	Out indefinitely	Back - 13 / 12 / 24	12-8	12-6-2	+ -
Smith is placed on the injured reserve list with a back injury, and there is no timetable for return.
Petr Mrazek (G)	Out indefinitely	Undisclosed - 07 / 12 / 24	12-10	14-6-2	+ -
Mrazek is dealing with an undisclosed injury, and it is unclear how long he will be idle.
Alec Martinez (D)	Out indefinitely	Neck - 07 / 12 / 24	12-10	14-6-2	+ -
Martinez has been placed on the injured reserve with a neck injury, and his return is unknown.
Jason Dickinson (C)	Ques Sat	Hand - 22 / 11 / 24	16-13	16-11-2	+ -
Dickinson is managing a hand injury, and it remains to be seen if he will be active against the Flyers on Saturday.
Petr Mrazek (G)	Out indefinitely	Personal - 19 / 11 / 24	16-14	16-12-2	+ -
Mrazek has been sidelined due to an personal reason, and he will miss an extended period.

Toronto

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Matthew Knies (LW)	Ques Sat	Upper Body - 23 / 01 / 25	1-1	1-1	+ -
Knies left the previous game with an upper-body injury, and it is unclear if he will play against the Senators on Saturday.
Connor Dewar (C)	Ques Sat	Upper Body - 21 / 01 / 25	2-1	2-1	+ -
Dewar is dealing with an upper body injury, and it is undetermined if he will get back on ice against the Senators on Saturday.
Max Pacioretty (LW)	Out indefinitely	Upper Body - 20 / 01 / 25	2-1	2-1	+ -
Pacioretty has wound up on the injured reserve list due to an upper body injury, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.
John Tavares (C)	Late Jan	Lower Body - 15 / 01 / 25	3-2	3-2	+ -
Tavares has been placed on the injured reserve due to a lower-body injury, and he will miss at least a week.
Jake McCabe (D)	Out indefinitely	Upper Body - 06 / 01 / 25	3-6	4-5	+ -
McCabe has wound up on the injured reserve list due to an upper body injury, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.
Pontus Holmberg (RW)	Ques Thurs	Illness - 31 / 12 / 24	5-8	6-7	+ -
Holmberg is dealing with an illness, and it is undetermined if he will suit up for Thursday's clash versus the Hurricanes.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D)	Ques Thurs	Illness - 31 / 12 / 24	5-8	6-7	+ -
Ekman-Larsson is dealing with an illness, and it is unclear if he will dress against the Islanders on Thursday.
Anthony Stolarz (G)	Out indefinitely	Lower Body - 12 / 12 / 24	10-12	12-9-1	+ -
Stolarz is placed on the injured reserve list with a lower body injury, and there is no timetable for return.
Jani Hakanpaa (D)	Out indefinitely	Lower Body - 02 / 12 / 24	12-15	14-12-1	+ -
Hakanpaa has been placed on injured reserve with a lower body injury, and there is no timetable for return.
Jake McCabe (D)	Out indefinitely	Upper Body - 01 / 12 / 24	12-15	14-12-1	+ -
McCabe has been placed on injured reserve with an upper body injury, and there is no timetable for return.