Maple Leafs vs. Sharks: NHL Odds, Prediction

Toronto’s matador defence and shaky goaltending has gone from minor annoyance to full-blown concern as the struggling Maple Leafs look to get back on track Monday night in San Jose. The Leafs kick off a four-game Western Conference road trip looking for answers at the back end following a 4-2 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday, their third defeat in four games. Toronto enters the week as one of five Eastern Conference teams to have allowed at least 40 goals to date.

Maple Leafs vs. Sharks

Moneyline: Sharks -110, Leafs -110

Date: Monday, October 30, 10:30 p.m. ET

SAP Center, San Jose, Calif.

NHL Odds and Betting Analysis

The Sharks opened as razor-thin favourites after getting off to a hum-drum start to the season, sitting right at .500 with a plus-1 goal differential through 10 games. San Jose has won five of its last six games against Atlantic Division opponents, and is coming off an impressive 3-2-0 showing on its five-game Eastern Conference road trip. It has been a weird start for the Sharks, who have played nine of their first 10 games against the East.

The teams are at opposite ends of the totals spectrum, with the Maple Leafs having gone 7-3-1 O/U through 11 games and San Jose playing just three overs in 10 contests. But recent trends on both sides suggest that the under play is a solid choice here. Toronto has fallen under the total in 10 of its previous 11 games against Pacific Division opponents, while the Sharks have gone over the number just 13 times in their last 53 home games.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs have been the premier over play in hockey thanks to an offence producing a league-best 4.1 goals per game and allowing 3.6, third-most in the NHL. But that goal-scoring attack has slowed of late, exceeding three goals just once in the last six games. The Toronto power play has been at least partly to blame for the team’s recent swoon, scoring on just three of 18 man-advantage opportunities over the previous six outings.

San Jose Sharks

Few teams in recent history have played up to the level of elite opponents like the Sharks; they’ve won 14 of their last 20 games against teams with a winning percentage of .600 or higher. But while San Jose has been sensational on the defensive end – ranking seventh in goals against (2.6) and fifth in penalty killing (88.4 percent) it’ll need to find more scoring balance, with Logan Couture accounting for eight of the team’s 27 goals to date.

Maple Leafs vs. Sharks Prediction

Sharks 5, Maple Leafs 3