Dylan Larkin, Gustav Nyquist, and the Detroit Red Wings will face off against John Tavares, Mitchell Marner, and the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena for an Original Six showdown. Fox Sports Detroit will air the game, and the opening face-off is at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 6.
Detroit Red Wings at Toronto Maple Leafs Odds
Toronto enters the game as the heavy favorite with a moneyline of -315. The line for the Red Wings is standing at +260 and oddsmakers have put the Over/Under (O/U) at an even 6 goals (-130 money on the over, +110 on the under).
Netting 8.4 units for moneyline bettors, Toronto is 20-8 straight up (SU) overall this year. That win percentage, second-strongest in the league so far in this young season, is an improvement compared to how the team performed during last year’s regular season (49-33). Of its 28 regular season matches, 13 have gone under the total, while 12 have gone over and just three have pushed. The team is 9-5 SU at home this season.
The Maple Leafs have converted on 27.5 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s good enough for seventh-best in the league. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 11th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 80.9 percent of all penalties.
Averaging 31.2 saves per game with a .931 save percentage, Frederik Andersen (16-7) has been the top goalkeeper for Toronto this year. If the Leafs, however, decide to give him a rest, head coach Mike Babcock might go with Garret Sparks (4-1-1 record, .924 save percentage, 2.57 goals against average).
Detroit has earned 0.7 units for moneyline bettors this season and is currently 12-16 straight up (SU). A total of 14 of its contests have gone over the total, while 13 have gone under the total and just one has pushed. The Red Wings are 5-7 SU as the road team this season.
The Red Wings have converted on 19.2 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 17th overall and it’s successfully killed off 78.6 percent of all penalties.
Jimmy Howard (30.4 saves per game) has been the primary option in the net for Detroit. Howard has nine wins, 11 losses, and four OT losses to his credit, and has registered a .920 save percentage and 2.77 goals against average this year.
Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Free Picks
Prediction: SU Winner \u2013 Maple Leafs, O/U \u2013 Over
Betting Notes
- A majority (75.0 percent) of Toronto’s wins have been by two or more goals, and the team is 15-7 overall in games decided by at least two scores. 4 of Detroit’s 12 wins (33.3 percent) have been decided by two or more goals.
- Power plays and penalty kills could be critical tonight. The Red Wings are 2-5 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 6-7 in games where they’re in the box for fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Maple Leafs are 7-3 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 17-8 when they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
- Two of Detroit’s last ten games have ended in a shootout. The team is 0-2 in those games and 2-3 overall in shootouts this season.
- For both of these teams, the game went over the total in four of their last five matchups.
- Detroit has averaged 9.4 giveaways over its last five home games, an improvement from its season average of 13.9 giveaways per game (ranked 31st overall).
- Toronto has averaged 17.4 giveaways over its last five home games, a rise over its season average of 12.1 giveaways per game (ranked 26th in the NHL).
