Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings Prediction, NHL Odds
The Maple Leafs halted a three-game slide with Thursday’s 3-1 win over the visiting Minnesota Wild. However, Toronto was outscored by a 9-5 margin in consecutive road losses in Montreal and Columbus earlier this week, and has fallen to defeat in four of their past five away contests. The Red Wings try to bounce back after opening a three-game home stand with Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to Colorado, which marked the team’s fifth loss in seven home outings.
The Leafs have steadily gained momentum since opening as -208 road favourites, improving to -223 chalk while backed by 89% of sports bettors. Accordingly, the Red Wings have tumbled to distant +185 home underdogs. The total has held steady since opening at 6.5, with the UNDER favoured with -117 odds.
Maple Leafs vs. Red Wings NHL Betting Odds
Saturday’s matchup at Little Caesars’ Arena marks the third of four regular season meetings between these Original Six rivals. The Maple Leafs skated to victory in their first two matchups of the season, capped by a decisive 7-4 win in Detroit on January 29. Toronto has averaged 5.4 goals per game during five-game win streak versus the Wings, and with Detroit potting four goals in each of their first two clashes of the season, the OVER currently enjoys a 2-0-0 run. The Maple Leafs have also dominated in recent visits to the Motor City, going 8-1-1 over their past 10, and have averaged over 40 shots on goal over their past three dates in Detroit.
The Maple Leafs offence has struggled to maintain that momentum during their current 3-4-1 run. The club has been limited to three or fewer goals on six occasions over that stretch, including each of their four recent road defeats. Toronto’s woes have not been helped by porous defence that has allowed 4.50 goals per game over their past four outings. High scoring has been commonplace when Detroit has played over the past month. An inconsistent Red Wings attack has mustered just nine total goals over the past three games. But with the club surrendering five or more goals in six of 12 outings, the OVER has maintained an 8-4-0 run.
Toronto Maple Leafs
While the Leafs offence has sputtered, Auston Matthews has remained red-hot, scoring three times in his past two games to take the league lead in scoring, with 36 goals. Matthews has also been a dominant force against the Red Wings, tallying five points over his past three appearances, and has turned in multi-point performances in seven of 16 career clashes with Detroit.
Detroit Red Wings
While scoring has come at a premium for Detroit, two Red Wings players have reliably produced. Defenceman Moritz Seider has strengthened his claim to the Calder Trophy as this season’s top rookie while racking up a goal and six assists during a five-game points streak. Team captain Dylan Larkin has recorded six goals and 10 helpers during an eight-game points streak, including a three-point performance in last month’s 7-4 home loss to Toronto.
TOR
DET