Lightning vs Maple Leafs Odds: The Atlantic’s Finest Rivalry Continues
Toronto Favored to Even Up Season Against Tampa
Maple Leafs Slightly Favored Despite Current Slump
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning may be meeting for just the second time this 2022-23 season, but it’s more like their ninth meeting going back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Lightning vs Maple Leafs odds pegs Toronto as a very slight favorite at -135 even if the Leafs are slumping a bit. Their last four games were decided by one goal with Tampa having won the last three.
Game Information
Tampa Bay Lightning(20-9-1) vs Toronto Maple Leafs(19-7-6)
Date & Time & Streaming:
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
Streaming: Live Sports Stream
Lightning vs Leafs: Current Forms
Toronto is in a bit of a slump having scored just three total goals in its last two games. Mitch Marner, who was on a 23-game point streak, is now pointless in these last two games. It’s not a coincidence as Toronto managed just two goals or fewer in three of the four games he failed to produce. These three ended up in losses.
But there is cause for optimism here. For one, Toronto’s losses were on the road. As far as their home games are concerned, the Leafs are on an eight-game point streak (6-0-2) and have scored 17 goals in their last three games. The Leafs’ defense also picks up at home where they allow a measly 2.2 goals from opponents, the second-fewest in the NHL.
While Matt Murray has been shaky in net lately, Toronto is giving up just 26.1 shots per game. The Leafs have outshot their opponents in 14 of their 16 home games and are 10-2-2 in these games. Their dominance at home is why the Lightning vs Maple Leafs odds favor them despite Tampa’s excellent form lately.
Tampa Bay has won five straight and seven of their last eight. Tampa blew out Montreal 5-1 in the first of its four-game Atlantic road trip. Tampa Bay is now almost break-even on the NHL betting lines when on the road. This will also be only the fifth time Tampa Bay will enter a game as an underdog (+115). Tampa is 1-3 as one.
The top line led by Nikita Kucherov has been potent for Tampa Bay. The former Hart Trophy winner is quietly putting up another MVP-caliber season with 47 points in 30 games. Along with his linemates, Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel, they have produced 40 of their team’s 110 goals this season.
Must-Watch Matchup Typically Decided by One Goal
The last meeting between Toronto and Tampa Bay was an overtime thriller. Tampa Bay won 4-3 despite Marner’s record-setting night. It was also a game dominated by special hockey teams play as Tampa and Toronto combined for 15 minor penalties – seven of them in the second period. Four of the seven goals scored took place on special teams (three on the power play and one short-handed).
“It was a weird game,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “I think both coaches and staffs will look at it, and the only benefit was we got the extra point.”
The rough play was a sign of how intense the rivalry has become between Toronto and Tampa Bay. The Leafs know they have to go through Tampa Bay to make it out of the first round. The Lightning vs Maple Leafs odds favor the Leafs to get Tampa back from their last defeat. While their recent meetings have been decided by a goal, they’ve also taken turns blowing each other out.
Tampa Bay owns a 7-3 win over Toronto during the playoffs and Toronto, likewise, has 5-0’d Tampa Bay. Two-way play is a custom for these teams hence why the total has gone under when Tampa is on the road (4-8-1) and when Toronto is at home (5-11-0). However, these teams may be too potent to keep the NHL scoring low as six of their last seven games have gone over. That may be a key bet when it comes to the NHL picks and parlays.
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