Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes Prediction, NHL Odds

Payton Matthews | Updated Jan 08, 2025

NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs at Philadelphia Flyers

The Toronto Maple Leafs conclude a two-game trip on Thursday night with their first look this season as the excellent Carolina Hurricanes.

Toronto
33-20-2
AT
January 09, 2025, 7:30 PM ET
PNC Arena
Carolina
33-19-2-2
Puckline +1.5 -175
Moneyline +145
Over / Under o +5.5
Puckline -1.5 +145
Moneyline -175
Over / Under u +5.5

The Hurricanes opened as -160 favourites on the NHL odds.

Maple Leafs vs. Hurricanes NHL Betting Odds

There aren’t many nights when the Leafs take the ice that they might have the lesser talented roster, but that might be the case in Thursday in North Carolina. While the Carolina Hurricanes don’t have a superstar like an Auston Matthews, they are very deep and are +400 second-favourites behind Florida to win the Eastern Conference title.

Former Toronto netminder Frederik Andersen is still with the Hurricanes but hasn’t played since Oct. 26 due to a knee injury that required surgery. The 35-year-old was 3-1-0 with an excellent 1.49 GAA and a .941 save per percentage prior to the injury. Pyotr Kochetkov is now the unquestioned No. 1 with Spencer Martin as the No. 2 until Andersen gets back. He also missed much of last season with a blood-clotting condition.

Thursday marks the first of three regular-season meetings between the teams. Last season, Carolina won all three by one goal. Sebastian Aho (4G, 3A) led the Hurricanes with seven points in the series. Andersen allowed one goal in his lone start and Kochetkov six combined in his two. John Tavares had a goal and assist in the series for the Leafs and Matthews only an assist. Joseph Woll played well in his loss, allowing two goals on 43 shots.

Carolina is 6-4 in the past 10 meetings and the over-under is 5-5 in those.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Leafs completed a home-and-home sweep of Philadelphia on Tuesday with a 3-2 road victory for a fifth straight win overall. Toronto trailed twice by a goal, but Matthew Knies’ 16th goal of the season was the winner at 13:21 of the third. Knies has at least one goal in three straight games and a total of seven points in that run. John Tavares (20th of season) and Auston Matthews (13th) also scored. Matthews also had an assist for the 200th multi-point game of his NHL career in his 589th game, the fastest by a U.S.-born player in NHL history. He’s also the fourth-fastest active player to reach 200, behind Sidney Crosby (465 games), Connor McDavid (466) and Alex Ovechkin (570).

Tavares has reached 20 goals for a 15th time in his career and required the second-fewest games to 20 goals in a season by a player age 34 or older in franchise history. Mitch Marner had two assists for his 20th multi-point game of the season to tie Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl for the league lead. Blueliner Jake McCabe (1G, 10A) missed the game after being placed on injured reserve Monday and is out indefinitely. Joseph Woll won his fifth straight start in net and should remain there Thursday. The under is 4-1 in Toronto’s past five.

Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina has alternated wins and losses over its past six following a 3-2 loss at Tampa Bay on Tuesday – giving up the winning goal with 52 seconds remaining after twice rallying from one-goal deficits on scores from Andrei Svechnikov (13th of season) and Jordan Staal (fifth). It was Svechnikov’s first goal in his past 10 games and first 5-on-5 goal since October. Staal added an assist and has four points in his past four.

Future Hall of Fame blueliner Brent Burns had a helper while playing in his 884th consecutive game to tie Steve Larmer for the sixth-longest Ironman streak in NHL history. Pyotr Kochetkov was a tough-luck loser to fall to 15-9-1 with a 2.50 GAA and .902 SV. Tuesday was the first time this season that Kochetkov lost when facing more than 30 shots as Carolina had been 5-0 in that scenario. He should start again Thursday. The Hurricanes are 4-1 in their past five at home.

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

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