Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Game 5 Prediction, NHL Odds
The Lightning knotted the series at two games apiece with a convincing 7-3 home victory on Sunday night, but have failed to tally consecutive wins over Toronto in 10 clashes since October 2019. The Maple Leafs return home with home ice advantage in what has been effectively been reduced to a best-of-three matchup, but must find a way to shut down a Lightning attack that has scored an average of 4.67 goals while winning two of the past three games in the series.
The Maple Leafs have remained resilient at the sportsbooks despite their shaky performance in Game 4, and look to Tuesday’s clash as -131 home favourites. The Leafs also maintain the edge on the NHL playoff series prices, where they are pegged as slim -127 chalk. The Lightning arrive in Toronto lagging as +109 underdogs despite commanding 54% of the betting action. Tampa Bay also lags as an attractive +103 bet on the series prices. With these clubs combing to score an average of 7.5 goals per game so far in this series, the total is favoured to go OVER 6.5 with -120, backed by 87% of sports bettors.
Lightning vs. Maple Leafs NHL Playoffs Betting Odds
Tuesday night’s matchup at Scotiabank Arena marks the ninth overall meeting of the season between these clubs, with each of these teams tallying four wins over that stretch. However, neither the Lightning nor Leafs have managed to claim consecutive wins this season in head-to-head action. The trend towards high scoring continued in Tampa Bay’s Game 4 victory, which extended the current run for the OVER to 7-1-0. Lopsided results have also been commonplace, with each of the past seven clashes between these clubs getting settled by multi-goal margins.
Sunday’s victory gave the Lightning a boost on the Stanley Cup odds, where they now sit as an improved +1100 bet to complete the three-peat. The Maple Leafs’ loss in Game 4 has diminished the Maple Leafs to a +800 wager to end their 55-year Stanley Cup drought.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning extended their current run of playoff games without consecutive losses to 52 with a sensational performance in Game 4. The Lightning wasted no time seizing an early 3-0 lead, and effective countered Toronto’s bid to rebound from the early deficit. Role players emerged as the stars of Game 4. Ross Colton scored his first two goals of the postseason, while the fourth liners Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Pat Maroon, and Corey Perry scored one each. Those performances have taken the pressure off Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, who have each scored just once so far in the series.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Leafs doomed themselves in Game with sloppy play from the get go. They received little help from netminder Jack Campbell, whop allowed three goals on the first six shots he faced, and was mercifully pulled after surrendering the fifth goal of the game in the second period. Campbell’s struggles in Game 4 come on the heels of a sensational game-stealing performance in Game 3. However, Campbell is 5-0-0 this season in home appearances immediately following a road loss. William Nylander finally found the mark in Game 4, tallying a pair of third-period goals. However, he remains the target of criticism for what has been perceived as passive play so far in the series.
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