Kings vs Maple Leafs Matchup Analysis & Betting Tips

The Kings vs Maple Leafs matchup features two teams that hope to go deeper in this year’s postseason than last. Los Angeles occupies the third spot in the Western Conference, seven points behind the Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific. Toronto, with a 3-point deficit in the Atlantic, is trying to chase down the Boston Bruins who enjoy three games in hand. This is clearly one of the better match-ups on tonight’s NHL scoreboard.

Kings Goaltending Stability Questioned

Let’s put aside the result of the game whose results still linger within the Kings organization. Of course, we’re talking about the Kings 9-8 home OT loss to the Seattle Kraken at the end of November.

Shortly after, Los Angeles Kings put goaltender Cal Peterson on waivers after giving up four of those goals on just 16 shots. You could see this coming after Jonathan Quick re-established himself as the number one netminder. Peterson was lucky to hold on to his roster spot with performance and confidence becoming major issues.

The Kings just moved on from Jack Campbell who has historically had the same hurdles and likely didn’t want Campbell 2.0 around when they saw how Peterson handled his personal low points. His release doesn’t have much bearing on tonight’s wager with Quick getting the start, but it is something to keep an eye on especially when Los Angeles plays multiple games in a short period.

Let’s continue our Kings vs Leafs matchup analysis by digging into the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Marner, Leafs Focused on Continuing Streaks

Mitchell Marner has now gone 20 straight games with a point, and the Leafs have been riding his success with a streak of their own that has seen their unbeaten in-regulation streak reach 12 games. Marner has added consistent scoring to his all-around game that includes a reliance on the 25-year-old to play well defensively.

Despite Toronto’s success, it’s been difficult to have money on them because they’re either too big of a favorite or you’re forced to bet them on the puck line where they’re an unflattering 11-16 this NHL season.

If you’ve never bet on a hockey game, this might be the time with what promises to be an entertaining match-up. Let’s wrap up our Kings vs Maple Leafs matchup preview by giving you our official selection.

Kings Bettors Make Early Statement

Early Wednesday morning, we saw this number open Toronto -188, but professional money was all over the dog (+155), pushing the number down to -179.

The general public woke up and bet the Leafs backup -184 almost immediately, but that confidence has lost steam with players as the number hit a low of -170. Not much movement on the total, something that’s not odd because most bettors wait to confirm who the goaltenders will be without a big plus money price on the line. Jonathan Quick will get the start for Los Angeles, and Ilya Samsonov is expected to get the crease for the Leafs.

To conclude our Kings vs Maple Leafs matchup preview, our official selection is to agree with bettors by taking a shot with the Kings. We think the general thought of the Kings front office is they play well enough in their own end that goaltending can’t be the reason why they lose games.

Los Angeles gives up under 30 shots a game making +145 an attractive number, but we’re going to take it one step further by betting the puck line (+1.5) -155.

Get the feel of sports & betting with these other articles:

• Senators vs Rangers Game Analysis, Odds & Moneyline
• Maple Leafs vs Lightning Betting Tips: Ready to Electrify
• Ducks vs Wild Head to Head: Western Conference Clash on Saturday
• Sabres vs Red Wings Betting Odds: Atlantic Division Showdown on Wednesday Night
• Islanders vs Blue Jackets Odds Preview & Betting Analysis