The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading into Vancouver for the first game this year between these two Canadian teams. Toronto is safely in a 3rd place spot in the Atlantic division, but they're coming off of a 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday, ending their win streak at six games. Vancouver is looking to defend home ice in the last leg of their mini three-game homestand, after losing to the New York Islanders 6-3 at home on Wednesday. It’s time to continue our NHL odds series with a Maple Leafs-Canucks prediction and pick.
Here are the Maple Leafs-Canucks NHL Odds, Courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Maple Leafs-Canucks Odds
Toronto Maple Leafs: -1.5 (+128) (-196 ML)
Vancouver Canucks: +1.5 (-158) (+162 ML)
Over: 6 (-115)
Under: 6 (-105)
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Why the Maple Leafs Can Cover The Spread/Win
The real story for this game comes down to Toronto's goaltending. After Jack Campbell struggled in their loss to Calgary on Thursday, the Maple Leafs are looking to start their backup, Petr Mrazek tonight against the Canucks. Campbell has been slipping as of late, giving up four or more goals in four of his last eight starts; giving him a .864 save percentage over those games. This is the perfect opportunity for Petr Mrazek to show the coaching staff what he's capable of, posting a .902 save percentage so far on the year, and winning all of his last four starts. The Maple Leafs should have no problem scoring goals while they arguably have the league's most high-powered offense, led by superstar Auston Matthews. Even though Toronto struggles on defense, their offense should make up for that missing piece, especially against a weak Vancouver offense whose been struggling as of late.
Why the Canucks Can Cover The Spread/Win
While Toronto's production has been trending up, Vancouver's play has been slowly trending downwards, having lost six of their last nine games and six of their last seven as home underdogs – which is what they're listed as tonight. The Canucks have struggled to put pucks in the net, ranking 25th in the league for offensive production. Vancouver is also injury prone at the moment, with seven guys sitting out tonight due to injury, including rising star defenseman, Quinn Hughes, as he was placed in the league's COVID protocols on Monday. With that said, don't be shocked if the Canucks can pull off a sneaky upset victory as a home dog against a backup goaltender.
Final Maple Leafs-Canucks Prediction & Pick
The Maple Leafs haven't lost twice in a row since the beginning of December, and I think there's a lot of value in the puck line tonight. Vancouver will find themselves simply being outplayed unless they can score early and rely on a stellar performance from starting goaltender, Thatcher Demko. If the Canucks find themselves in the penalty box more than a few times tonight, Toronto will look to capitalize on that opportunity and make it a rough night for the Vancouver defense. I like the puck line for Toronto here. Whether they blow out Vancouver by the second period or pot an empty netter at the end of the game for an insurance goal, the Maple Leafs will be happy to come out on top and cover a -1.5 spread.
Final Maple Leafs-Canucks Prediction & Pick: Toronto -1.5 (+128)
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