St. Louis Blues vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Prediction, NHL Odds
The Maple Leafs closed out a three-game road trip in impressive fashion on New Year’s Eve with a decisive 6-2 victory over the defending champion Colorado Avalanche that marks their fourth in in their past five overall contests. The Blues stumble into Toronto looking for answers after closing out 2022 with Saturday’s 5-2 loss to Minnesota that marks their fourth defeat in five games, including losses in their past two road contests.
Backed by 85% of sports bettors, the Maple Leafs have emerged as -273 favourites, while the Blues lag as +224 underdogs, and the total remains unchanged since opening at 6.0,
Blues vs. Maple Leafs NHL Betting Odds
Tuesday night’s matchup at Scotiabank Arena marks the second and final regular season meeting between these clubs. The Maple Leafs needed overtime to claim a 5-4 win when they visited St. Louis during last week’s road trip, and have now topped the Blues in three of four meetings. Recent dates between these teams have been high-scoring affairs. Both these teams have averaged over four goals per game during the Leafs’ current 3-1-0 in head-to-head action, powering a steady 4-0 surge for the OVER. The road team has also enjoyed steady success when these clubs meet, claiming victory in seven of their past eight clashes.
St. Louis Blues
The Blues have endured struggles to contain opposing shooters while losing 12 of their past 19 games. St. Louis has surrendered five or more goals on 10 occasions over that stretch, including four of their past five contests. Despite their defensive woes, this team has still managed to pick up at least a point in nine of their past 12 outings. Tuesday’s expected starting goaltender Jordan Binnington has particularly struggled. Binnington has allowed four or more goals in three of four outings, with the lone exception being a 21-save performance in last week’s 3-1 win over the bottom-feeding Chicago Blackhawks.
Overall, Binnington has earned the win in just four of his past 14 starts, and has backstopped the team to victory over an opponent currently in the NHL playoff picture just once in his past 17 outings. Up front, Jordan Kyrou has provided the spark, racking up seven goals and six assists over his past seven outings, capped by a two-assist performance in Saturday’s loss to the Wild. Former Leafs defenceman Calle Rosen returns to Toronto riding a four-game points streak that features goals in each of his past three contests.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs overcame last week’s stunning 6-3 upset loss in Arizona in impressive fashion with last Saturday’s win over the Avs. The Buds seized an early 2-0 lead, and while they allowed the Avalanche to battle back, goals by Auston Matthews and TJ Brodie just 24 seconds apart iced the win. While the Leafs have garnered much deserved credit for their vastly improved defensive play this season, the club has also turned the corner up from after a shaky start. Maple Leafs shooters have potted 4.40 goals per game during the team’s current 4-1-0 run, and have racked up 4.67 goals per game during their current 7-0-0 run at home. That has paid dividends for sports bettors taking the OVER, which has gone 7-2 in the club’s past nine contests.
Michael Bunting led the charge with two goals in Colorado, and has now potted seven markers in his past nine games, including a four-game goal-scoring streak on home ice. William Nylander contributed a pair of helpers in the win, and has turned in multi-point performances in four of his past five home appearances, recording five goals and seven assists over that stretch.
