Red Wings’ Playoff Hopes Hang by a Thread Ahead of Toronto Visit
Wings vs Leafs Preview: Toronto Among NHL's Worst ATS at 32-45
The race for the NHL playoffs continues, with the Detroit Red Wings looking to snag one of the final two available spots in the Eastern Conference.
Needing all the help they can get, the Red Wings visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday (7 p.m. ET) at Scotiabank Arena.
Toronto opened as a -1.5 (+140) favorite on the puck line and -180 on the moneyline, with Detroit +1.5 (-166) on the spread and +150 to win outright.
Meanwhile, the projected total is 6.5 with a slight edge to the Over at -130. Bettors can get the Under at +110 odds.
What should bettors expect? Read on as we break down both hockey teams and assess the odds in our Wings vs Leafs preview.
Wings vs Leafs 
Day/Time:
Location: Scotiabank Arena; Toronto
Streaming: NHLPP, ESPN+
Wings vs Leafs Betting Trends
The Detroit Red Wings are 45-34 against the spread, including 22-17 away from home. Detroit’s games have trended toward the Over, as the Red Wings are 43-35-1 against the Over/Under. Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs are 32-47 ATS, including just 14-26 at home. As for the Over/Under, Toronto is 42-35-2.
Remembering these betting trends when assessing the odds in our Wings vs Leafs preview is important.
Wing and a Prayer
Detroit is clinging to faint playoff hopes in the Eastern Conference after falling 6-5 in overtime to Pittsburgh on Thursday. The Red Wings, +135 underdogs, overcame two-goal deficits on two separate occasions before Erik Karlsson’s game-winner at 1:40 of overtime.
The Red Wings (38-32-9) have dropped two straight and are just 2-4-3 over their last nine games. As such, their NHL odds of making the playoffs have dipped to +250, down from +195 the previous day.
Detroit trails Pittsburgh by one point for the final spot with three regular-season games remaining. It is tied with Washington and Philadelphia at 85 points, though the Flyers have played an extra game.
Offense remains a strength for Detroit. The Red Wings are ninth in the NHL in scoring (3.3 goals/game) and 11th in power-play percentage (22.7), with four different players already at 50 points or more. At the same time, the Red Wings are just 22nd in goals against, with Alex Lyon (3.03 GAA, .906 save percentage) logging a majority of their starts in goal.
While the Red Wings are 43-35-1 against the Over/Under, they have gone Under the total in five of their last seven games. Be sure to keep that in mind when analyzing the odds in our Wings vs Leafs preview.
Postseason on Toronto’s Mind
Toronto’s three-game winning streak was snapped Thursday in a 6-5 loss to New Jersey. The Maple Leafs, -200 favorites, squandered two goals by Auston Matthews, who is up to an NHL-best 68 on the hockey season.
The Maple Leafs (46-24-9) are still 6-2 over their last eight hockey games, leaving them all but locked into the fifth seed in the East with three regular-season games remaining. This marks the third straight season under Sheldon Keefe they have surpassed 100 points, the last two of which resulted in premature playoff exits.
Can they finally take the next step? Oddsmakers are bullish on the Maple Leafs, pricing them +700 to win the East and +1400 to win the Stanley Cup, one of nine teams with better than 15/1 championship odds.
The Maple Leafs are dynamic offensively, ranking second in the league in scoring (3.6 goals/game) and eighth in power-play percentage (23.9). It’s no wonder they have gone Over the total in 42 of their 79 games for a cover rate of 53.1%, which ranks among the best in the NHL.
At the same time, the Maple Leafs are strangely just 32-45 ATS, including 14-26 at home. Only the Devils, who are tied for 12th in the NHL Eastern Conference standings with 81 points, have fared worse ATS.
Handicapping the Game
This is the last of three regular-season meetings between these teams. Detroit won 3-2 on Nov. 17, with Toronto returning the favor 4-2 on Jan. 14.
Much of the Red Wings’ focus will be on Matthews, who continues to perform as one of the best NHL players. Matthews has at least one goal in seven straight games, during which Toronto has gone 5-2. He has yet to score against Detroit this season, but that can change on a dime.
The Red Wings have struggled mightily on the road, where they are 1-10 in their last 11 games and 16-19-4 for the season. Another loss would all but eliminate them from playoff contention.
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