Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings Prediction, NHL Odds
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the Motor City on Saturday night for an Atlantic Division clash with the Detroit Red Wings. The Leafs won their second in a row with a 4-3 shootout win at home against Anaheim on Wednesday. Detroit is also coming off a shootout win, downing the Penguins 3-2 in Pittsburgh on Friday.
Toronto is a -260 favourite to win on the NHL odds, with a total of 6.0.
Maple Leafs vs. Red Wings NHL Betting Odds
This is the second meeting between these teams this season following the Leafs’ 5-4 home win on Oct. 30. Toronto has won eight of the last 10 games in this head-to-head series, including four straight. The Over has hit in six of those 10 games.
The Leafs have done well in Detroit, winning five of their last six trips to Little Caesars Arena. They haven’t been a great cover option this year though, as they’re 15-24 against the spread overall, including 8-11 ATS on the road. High scoring has been key for Toronto lately, with the total going Over in five of their last seven games.
It’s been a struggle for Detroit again this year. The Wings have dropped seven of their last 10 games overall and five of their last seven at home. They’ve also had problems covering as they’re 19-25 ATS for the season. The total has gone Under in six of the Red Wings’ last eight games.
Toronto Maple Leafs
It was a much more lopsided game against Anaheim than Wednesday’s final score would suggest. Toronto outshot the Ducks 44-20 and actually had 75 shot attempts at the Anaheim net with 14 misses and another 17 blocked. Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner and William Nylander accounted for 25 of the Leafs’ 44 shots. The power-play was humming and converted on three of four chances. Marner (fourth straight game with a goal), Nylander and Tavares all scored with the man advantage. Jack Campbell stopped 17 of shots through regulation and overtime and made another two saves on three shootout attempts. Jason Spezza and Matthews both scored for Toronto in the shootout. Matthews leads the team with 43 points and his 25 goals is fifth-best in the NHL.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe has made it clear he wants to give Campbell less starts to keep his No. 1 goalie fresh, so it will likely be Petr Mrazek in net against a weak Detroit team. Mrazek has only managed five starts in his first season with the Leafs because of multiple injury issues. The former Red Wings goalie has a 3-2-0 record this year with a 3.03 goals-against average and .899 save percentage.
Detroit Red Wings
Lucas Raymond scored the lone shootout goal as Detroit cruised to a rare victory in Pittsburgh on Thursday. Givani Smith and Filip Zadina scored in regulation, while Calvin Pickard made 36 saves through regulation and overtime and another three in the shootout. The win snapped a three-game skid for Detroit. It was a big improvement for the Red Wings’ defence, which had given up eight goals to Chicago in the previous game and was torched for 17 goals over the three-game losing streak. Dylan Larkin has led the offence all season with a team-best 38 points (20G, 18A) in 39 games.
Detroit is expected to turn back to Alex Nedeljkovic for this game. The 26-year-old Nedeljkovic has emerged as the Wings’ No. 1 goalie after being acquired from Carolina in the off-season. In his first season in Detroit he is 12-11-5 with a 2.89 GAA and .912 SV.
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