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We won't get many more opportunities to see Sidney Crosby play a game on the premier Hockey Night in Canada broadcast. The Pittsburgh Penguins are hosting the Saturday night matchup, as the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town fresh off a loss on Friday night. The Maple Leafs and their fans are ready for a special season with their first-place position in the Atlantic Division, while the Penguins wonder where their franchise is going with a core of aging superstars and a losing record. The Leafs have won five of the past six matchups against the Penguins, including a 4-2 win at home at the beginning of the season. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Maple Leafs-Penguins prediction and pick.
Here are the Maple Leafs-Penguins NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Maple Leafs-Penguins Odds
Toronto Maple Leafs: -1.5 (+160)
Moneyline: -151
Pittsburgh Penguins: +1.5 (-183)
Moneyline: +136
Over: 6.5 (+100)
Under: 6.5 (-120)
How To Watch Maple Leafs vs. Penguins
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: CBC, Sportsnet
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Maple Leafs Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Maple Leafs have been looking invincible under Craig Berube. They lost their new captain, Auston Matthews, for a long stretch but escaped with barely any damage and are now 7-3 over their past ten games. Toronto are now 16-8-2 for the season and first in the Atlantic Division. They have wins over the Washington Capitals, Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Tampa Bay Lightning over their past ten games, which is a good sign for their Stanley Cup contending chances. The core has bought into Berube's system up to this point, but there are some concerns about them being a regular-season team.
The Maple Leafs' goaltending tandem was one reason for concern entering this season. However, Toronto has the best tandem in the league, with both goalies ranking in the top five of many categories. It hasn't been an excellent stretch for them over the past five games, but they still have a combined 3-2 record with a 2.4 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage. Joseph Woll will likely get the start in this game with his 7-2-0 record, 2.11 goals-against average, and .922 save percentage.
Why the Penguins Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Maple Leafs weren't the only team to lose on Friday night. The Penguins visited Madison Square Garden to battle the New York Rangers, who had been reeling lately and had plenty of controversy surrounding them after trading their captain, Jacob Trouba, earlier in the day. The Rangers looked like a bewildered team early in the game, and the Penguins had the game tied at two at one point, but New York snuck ahead for a 4-2 victory. It was a rare loss for the Penguins lately, as they had won four consecutive games against the Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, and Florida Panthers. Can the Penguins return to their winning ways in this game, or are they just delaying the inevitable with that win streak?
Final Maple Leafs-Penguins Prediction & Pick
The Maple Leafs didn't take kindly to losing to the Washington Capitals on Friday night. They felt outworked and should be highly motivated to win this game. Although they may have lost this game in the past under former regimes, the Maple Leafs should find a way to win here.
Final Maple Leafs-Penguins Prediction & Pick: Maple Leafs ML (-151)
