Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Chicago Blackhawks: NHL Betting Odds, Prediction

Ryan Stetson
Last Updated: February 20, 2026

The Chicago Blackhawks are coming off back-to-back wins to open the season. Their next game will be their toughest test of the year so far. Chicago followed up a 4-3 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators with a 5-4 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues a couple of nights later. Now they return home to host a Toronto Maple Leafs side that is the current favorite to win the Stanley Cup. The Maple Leafs looked nothing like Cup favorites in their 5-3 loss to Ottawa on Saturday night. Toronto also didn’t look great in their season-opening win against Montreal, so this has not been the ideal start to the season.

Toronto Maple Leafs @ Chicago Blackhawks

Date: Sunday October 7^th, 2018 – 7:00 PM ET

Location: United Center, Chicago, Illinois

NHL Odds: Maple Leafs -150

NHL Odds And Betting Analysis

The total has gone over in each of the Blackhawks first two games. Chicago has averaged 4.5 goals per contest while going to overtime in back-to-back contests. The Blackhawks went 18-18-5 at United Center last season. They will certainly need to be better on home ice this year in order to have a shot at contending for a playoff spot in the loaded Western Conference.

Meanwhile, Toronto is still looking for its first regulation win of the season. The Maple Leafs beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in their season opener before Saturday night’s loss to Ottawa. Toronto went 20-16-5 on the road a year ago. If they are going to bounce back on Sunday, the Maple Leafs will need to be a lot better in their own end of the ice after giving up five goals to the Senators.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto outshot Ottawa 37-24 on Saturday night but still ended up on the losing end of the final score. The Maple Leafs need to tighten up at the defensive end of the ice and limit the number of high-quality chances they allow. That will be particularly true on Sunday with backup Garrett Sparks in between the pipes. Sparks went 6-9-1 with a 3.02 goals-against average and an .893 save percentage last season. Toronto has a ton of firepower up front but it’s a lot more difficult to constantly play from behind. Auston Matthews, John Tavares and company showed flashes in each of their first two games but will need a more consistent effort from start to finish on the road in this one. The good news is that the talent is certainly there throughout the Maple Leafs lineup. That said, getting a win on the road on short rest will not be easy, especially with the Blackhawks off to a hot start.

Chicago Blackhawks

Scoring goals was an issue for Chicago for the majority of last season. It certainly hasn’t been a problem for the Blackhawks through their first two games this year. Jonathan Toews has led the way with three goals including the overtime winner against the Blues on Saturday night. Patrick Kane has four points while Alex DeBrincat has three points. Chicago will continue to rely heavily on its top two lines to score goals this season. It’s still early in the year so their top-six is still relatively fresh despite that they will be playing their second game in as many nights. The biggest question for the Blackhawks is which goalie will be between the pipes. Cam Ward has started Chicago’s first two games, which means Anton Forsberg could start on Sunday. Neither starting goalie will inspire more confidence in this contest. Expect the Blackhawks to have a slight edge at home in what should be a high scoring affair.