Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Washington Capitals Prediction, NHL Odds
It’s a quick turnaround for Toronto after a surprise 3-0 loss against Ottawa on Tuesday. The Capitals have been off since Saturday when they dominated St. Louis in an 8-1 win.
Washington is a -140 favourite to win on the NHL odds, with the total set at 6.0.
Maple Leafs vs. Capitals NHL Betting Odds
The Leafs swept the three-game series last year, outscoring the Capitals 16-5 in the process. Overall, Toronto has won four straight against Washington and eight of the last 10.
Both teams have been profitable for bettors this season. The Maple Leafs are 11-6 against the spread and the Caps are 9-5 ATS. Game totals are a different story, with Toronto hitting the Over just five times, while Washington has finished above the number in a majority eight of 14 games.
Playing the second half of a back-to-back is bad enough, but the Leafs also haven’t been a good road team this season, winning just two of seven away dates. On the flip side, the Capitals have been one of the strongest home teams in the NHL, going 7-2 at Capital One Arena.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Things started bad quick for Toronto on Tuesday and the team never really managed to turn it around. The Leafs trailed 1-0 less than a minute into the game and went on to suffer a rare home shutout loss while being heavily outshot 41-27. A major concern is the lack of production at 5-on-5. Toronto has only scored one even strength goal over the last five games, a Connor Timmins shot that went off an opponent.
The Leafs are clearly struggling to generate offence without captain Auston Matthews, who is expected to miss a fifth straight game with an upper-body injury. Max Pacioretty is also out as he is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. With Anthony Stolarz playing on Tuesday, it should be Joseph Woll on Wednesday. Woll was solid in his last start, making 20 saves in a 4-1 win against Montreal on Saturday. He has a 2-2-0 record this season with a 2.27 goals-against average and .905 save percentage.
Washington Capitals
Washington lit up Jordan Binnington and the St. Louis Blues on Saturday for eight goals on 27 shots, including a five-goal third period. Leading scorer Dylan Strome (4G, 18A) continued his hot start with a trio of assists, while Alex Ovechkin and Connor McMichael each had two goals. Ovechkin has six goals in his last seven games, while McMichael has points in three straight games and six of his last seven.
After splitting starts with Charlie Lindgren all season, on Wednesday Logan Thompson is expected to be the first Capitals goalie to start consecutive games this year. Thompson is undefeated with a 7-0-0 record, posting a 2.55 GAA and .910 SV. Washington also made a minor move by trading for Lars Eller from Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Eller, who won a Stanley Cup with the Caps in 2018, has four goals and three assists in 17 games with the Pens this season. It’s not yet known if he’ll be in the lineup on Wednesday.
