TD Garden plays host to an Original Six matchup as the Toronto Maple Leafs pay a visit to Beantown to face the Boston Bruins. CBC Sports will broadcast the game, and the opening face-off is at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 11.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins Odds
Toronto is 10-7 straight up (SU) and has netted 0.8 units for moneyline bettors this season. 11 of its matches have gone over the total, while four have gone under and just two have pushed. The Leafs are 4-4 SU as an away team in 2017-18.
Toronto has converted on 23.2 percent of its power play chances this year, a mark that’s good enough for eighth-best in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 19th out of 31 teams, and the team’s successfully killed off 79.7 percent of all penalties.
The Leafs, as a collective unit, have been penalized 3.9 times per game during the 2017-18 season, 4.0 per game over its past five total, and 3.8 per game over its last five on the road. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 7.1 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 29.5 saves per game with a .898 save percentage, Frederik Andersen (9-6) has been the best option in goal for Toronto this year. If it decides to give him a rest, however, the team might roll with Curtis McElhinney (1-1 record, .869 save percentage, 4.10 goals against average).
Auston Matthews and Nazem Kadri will both lead the way for the visiting Maple Leafs. Matthews (19 points) has tallied 10 goals and nine assists, and has recorded multiple points in six different games. Kadri has nine goals and five assists to his credit (and has registered a point in nine games).
Boston is 6-8 straight up (SU) and has lost 5.3 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 14 regular season outings, eight of its games have gone over the total, while six have gone under and none have pushed. It’s 5-4 SU as the home team so far this year.
The Bruins have converted on 23.5 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that places it in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked third overall, and it’s successfully killed off 87.5 percent of all opponent power plays.
Boston players have been whistled for penalties 4.4 times per game this season. Last year, that number was at 4.2, the sixth-highest mark in the league. After serving an average of 10.1 penalty minutes per game a year ago, the team’s had to kill penalties for 11.6 minutes per matchup this season.
Tuukka Rask (25.2 saves per game) has been the primary selection in goal for the Bruins. Rask has three wins, seven losses, and two overtime losses to his name and has registered a mediocre 2.77 goals against average and a subpar .903 save percentage this season.
The Bruins offense will be led by David Pastrnak (nine goals, seven assists).
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins Betting Predictions
Predictions: SU Winner – Bruins, O/U – Over
Betting Trends:
- The Bruins are 2-4 when the team serves fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 3-5 in games where they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 minutes, total.
- The total has gone over in three of Boston’s last five outings.
- Toronto has averaged 8.6 giveaways over its last five home games, an improvement from its season average of 12.8 giveaways per game (ranked 28th).
- This game features a couple of the more aggressive defenses in the league. Toronto skaters have given out the 10th-most hits in the league (22.2 per game) while the Bruins have handed the fourth-most (24.9).
