An action-packed hockey night in North America continues as the Toronto Maple Leafs head to the Big Apple to take on the New York Islanders. It is time to check out our NHL odds series where our Maple Leafs-Islanders prediction and pick will be revealed.
With a stupendous overall record of 42-18-9, the Toronto Maple Leafs are once again among the league's elite as we head down the final stretch of the regular season. While it remains to be seen whether or not Toronto can finally get over the hump come playoff time remains to be seen, but this Maple Leafs' roster is surely no joke!
As for the Islanders of New York, they have found themselves smack dab in the middle of a heated Eastern Conference playoff race that currently has them leading the Wild Card chase with 80 points in the top overall spot. Fresh off of easy wins versus the Ducks and Sharks on their west-coast trip road trip, can the Islanders continue down their path of being a playoff-worthy team?
Here are the Maple Leafs-Islanders NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Maple Leafs-Islanders Odds
Toronto Maple Leafs: -1.5 (+198)
New York Islanders: +1.5 (-245)
Over: 5.5 (-128)
Under: 5.5 (+104)
How To Watch Maple Leafs vs. Islanders
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7:30 ET/4:30 PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Maple Leafs Could Cover The Spread
Of course, Toronto's one downfall has been the fact that they have been rather unreliable with a record of 29-40 against the spread this season, but the good news for Maple Leafs bettors is that they are a determined bunch that is ready to reverse their Stanley Cup drought that currently sits at 55 years and counting.
While the whole country of Canada is well aware that the championship-less years are starting to pile up, the Maple Leaves could cover the spread against the Islanders in tonight's high-flying action simply because Toronto happens to boast one of the top skaters that the entire world of hockey has to offer. Clearly not needing an introduction, the 25-year-old center in Auston Matthews is widely considered to be one of the fastest and most electrifying playmakers that this sport has to offer. With back-to-back multi-point games versus the Senators and Hurricanes, there is no doubt that Matthews will be involved in some great opportunities to be a part of the scoring for Toronto on this Tuesday.
Not to mention, but it always helps when you are capitalizing on your power-play opportunities. On average, Toronto usually connects on 25% of their extra-man attacks on the season, which is the second-highest mark in the league. With the speed that the Maple Leafs have, they will surely be given their fair share of power-play's, but converting on them may be the difference between covering the spread and not.
Why The Islanders Could Cover The Spread
From here on out, the desperation to continue winning games will be higher than ever for this New York Islanders crew. In fact, only a minuscule two points separate the Islanders from being out of the Wild Card picture entirely, so New York certainly cannot afford to mess around moving forward.
Luckily, this is a very disciplined team led by head coach Lane Lambert who is in his very first season in charge of the team Alas, the one thing that the Islanders excel at happens to come in the form of one of the top penalty-killing units that professional hockey has to offer. Believe it or not, New York happens to kill off an extremely productive 82% of extra-man attacks, as it has become extremely difficult for other teams to score on the power-play versus the Islanders. Even if New York comes out sloppy and makes a few mistakes throughout that results in some of their men heading off to the penalty box, New York bettors can at least find some sort of solace with this statistic.
In addition, the key to covering the spread and ultimately coming out victorious for the Islanders will only occur if they can receive tremendous goalie play from net-minder Ilya Sorokin. Not only has Sorokin posted top-ten statistics for the better portion of the entire year up to this point, but he also has recorded five shutouts on the season which is tied for the most in all of the NHL. If Sorokin can get himself into a groove early in this one, then even a high-scoring team like the Maple Leafs will have a tough day at the office when it comes to finding the back of the net with their shot attempts.
Final Maple Leafs-Islanders Prediction & Pick
Without a doubt, this matchup has the makings of being a future postseason duel in only a couple months time. However, Toronto is playing on a whole other planet at the moment, and finding a way to lose by less than two goals will prove to be a difficult task for the Islanders even at home.
Final Maple Leafs-Islanders Prediction & Pick: Maple Leafs -1.5 (+198)
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