Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes Prediction, NHL Odds
The Maple Leafs hit the road after shutting down the league-leading Boston Bruins on Saturday with a 2-1 win that has lifted them into a three-way tie for third place in the Atlantic Division standings. The Hurricanes tallied a 5-3 victory over the visiting Buffalo Sabres on Friday, and have claimed victory by a single goal on four occasions during their current 5-1-0 run.
The Maple Leafs have faded slightly to +137 underdogs on the NHL odds since opening at +135, and have earned the backing of just 35 per cent of sports bettors. The total is unchanged since opening at 6.5, but after garnering 55 per cent of the betting action, the OVER has shortened to a -120 bet.
Maple Leafs vs. Hurricanes NHL Betting Odds
Sunday evening’s matchup at PNC Arena marks the first of three scheduled meetings between these Eastern Conference rivals. The Maple Leafs took two of three from the Hurricanes last season, but dropped a 4-1 decision in their last visit to Carolina in October of last year. Neither team has dominated in recent head-to-head action, with the Leafs and Canes each earning wins over their past eight dates. Home teams have claimed victory in four of their past five clashes, and while the OVER has paid out in three of their past four overall meetings, the UNDER has prevailed in seven of their past nine contests in Carolina.
Toronto Maple Leafs
After raising concerns about their status as a legitimate contender while closing out their recent western road trip on a dismal four-game losing streak, the Maple Leafs have feasted on home cooking. With John Tavares leading the way with his first hat trick of the season, the Leafs got back into the win column with a decisive 5-2 victory over Philadelphia, and followed up with solid performances at both ends of the ice while snapping the Bruins’ seven-game surge on Saturday night. A lightning rod for criticism during the team’s recent slide, Auston Matthews provided all the offence Toronto needed on Saturday, posting his first multi-goal outing with both markers in the 2-1 win.
However, the win proved costly as goaltender Ilya Samsonov was forced to leave the game with a reported knee injury. With Matt Murray already sidelined by injury, the Leafs must now turn to Erik Kallgren as their starter, at least for now. Kallgren struggled in his first three starts of the season, allowing 11 total goals. However, the 26-year-old received plenty of defensive support from his teammates while making seven saves in relief to preserve the win on Saturday night.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes pulled to within one point of the top of the Metropolitan Division standings with Friday’s win over Buffalo. And once again they did it the hard way. The club spotted the Sabres a 2-1 lead just 10 minutes into the contest, forcing them to overcome a deficit in each of their four recent wins, with three of those contests needing overtime or a shootout to be decided. However, the Hurricanes’ close calls have more to do with a snake bitten offence than poor play. The club outshot the Sabres by a 33-25 margin, and have now outpaced opponents in the shots department by an overall margin of 161-100 over their past four games. Martin Necas continues to lead the Carolina attack. The 23-year-old potted a goal and two assists in Friday’s win, and has now racked up 10 points during a six-game point streak.
Former Toronto netminder Frederik Andersen is expected to face his old teammates on Sunday. Andersen has produced mixed results this season, earning the win in two of three home starts, but has surrendered 3.4 goals per game over his past five outings.
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