In today’s betting guide, the NHL schedule contains 13 games making for a busy night. The Detroit Red Wings visit the Toronto Maple Leafs, and this is where you’ll find everything, including team win odds, the over/under, and some player props.
Detroit Red Wings (+325) vs Toronto Maple Leafs (-450)
DET: 31-38-10, 2.59 GF/GP, 3.57 GA/GP, L10: 7-2-1
TOR: 52-21-7, 2.78 GF/GP, 3.80 GA/GP, L10: 3-7-0
The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Detroit Red Wings for the fourth and final encounter between the two clubs. Both teams are coming off a day of rest following a victory. The Maple Leafs are winners of five of their last seven, including a thrilling shootout win over the Washington Capitals. Auston Matthews has two assists in two games since returning from injury, having missed three games. Despite their success, they have an 8-1 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning looming over their heads.
The Red Wings have lost four of their last seven games, including blowouts against the Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins. Captain Dylan Larkin has missed the last four games, but the team has been able to lean on players like Tyler Bertuzzi, who has points in three consecutive games. His line has struggled to produce, with Lucas Raymond registering just one goal in his last five games.
Detroit’s recent struggles and inconsistent efforts from their top stars are just two of the troubling trends of late. In three meetings between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs, Toronto has come out on top every time. Each game was a high-scoring affair, with the last game ending 10-7 after a third-period scoring frenzy. There isn’t much money to be made on this one with Toronto being the heavy favourite at -450. If you have some spare cash to risk on Detroit, the payout may be worth it but the risk is high.
Props
Lucas Raymond – Assists (Over 0.5, +2.75)
Raymond is one of the league’s top rookies, excelling on Detroit’s top line at 20 years of age. He ranks third among all rookies in goals and points and is fourth in assists. He’s become cold of late, without points in his last three and one goal in his last five. It marks the third time this season that he has failed to register a point in at least three consecutive games.
With how many goals are scored between Detroit and Toronto, it’s the perfect game to break out of his slump. He is building chemistry with Bertuzzi and Joe Veleno, and the two look more comfortable as a trio. Raymond has accumulated two goals and three assists against Toronto this season, including an assist in each meeting. We’ll take the over on this bet, as Raymond should pick up at least one assist in what is sure to be another high-scoring game.
Mitch Marner – Points (Over 1.5, +2.05)
After finishing top five in scoring last season, Mitch Marner is closing in on his first 100-point season. He sits eighth among all players in points this season and has points in six of his last seven games. He has 29 multi-point games on the year, and his chemistry with Matthews is on another level. Head coach Sheldon Keith has experimented with potential fits on their wing, with Pierre Engvall receiving some time.
The last time these two teams met, Marner exploded with four goals and two assists in a 10-7 Toronto win. It was his second consecutive multi-point game against Detroit this year. Considering how close he is to 100 points, he may be extra motivated to pick up some assists. Matthews is without a goal in his last five, so look for that to change tonight with Marner dishing him the puck. We’ll take Marner easily going over 1.5 points on the night with a decent return.
Odds via Yahoo and BetMGM.
The Hockey Writers & THWBets promotes responsible gaming, and provides this content as opinion and analysis with no guarantees or assurances.
For more information about responsible gambling, including help for problem gambling behaviour, please visit these great resource pages:
If you’re in Canada, Rogers Sports & Media has put together a great information and resources page.
If you’re in the United States, MGMResorts has a great page for gambling problem resources.
