A pair of teams that have put themselves firmly in the playoff picture, the New York Islanders and the Toronto Maple Leafs take the ice at Scotiabank Arena. CBC Sports will showcase this Eastern Conference matchup, and the puck drops at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 4.
New York Islanders vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Odds
Toronto (-160) is tabbed as the favorite over New York (+140) and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at an even 6 goals. The odds for betting the total stand at -105 money on the over and -115 for the under.
New York is 25-14 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 8.4 units this year. 22 of its matches have gone under the total, while 15 have gone over and just two have pushed. This 2019-20 Islanders team is 12-7 SU on the road.
New York has converted on 19.6 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 17th overall, and it has successfully killed off 80.9 percent of all penalties.
New York, as a collective unit, has been whistled for penalties 3.5 times per game this season, and 4.4 per game over its last five on the road. The team has been forced to stave off opponent power plays 8.8 minutes per game over their last five outings.
Sporting a .921 save percentage and 25.5 saves per game, Semyon Varlamov (15-10-3) has been the best option in goal for New York this season. If it decides to give him a rest, however, New York may turn to Thomas Greiss (11-8 record, .919 save percentage, 2.58 goals against average).
Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson will both be relied on to facilitate things for the visiting Islanders. Barzal has 34 points on 16 goals and 18 assists, and has recorded multiple points nine times. Nelson has 15 goals and 16 assists to his name (and has registered at least one point in 19 games).
Toronto is 23-19 straight up (SU) and has lost 1.9 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 42 regular season matches, 23 of its games have gone over the total, while 17 have gone under and just two have pushed. This season, the team is 10-9 SU at home.
Toronto has converted on 23.9 percent of its power play chances this year, a figure that places it in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 28th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 75.4 percent of all penalties.
Toronto players have been penalized only 3.2 times per game this season, 3.0 per game over their past five outings total, and 3.2 per game over their last five home outings. The team has been forced to defend opponent power plays just 6.9 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Frederik Andersen (29.1 saves per game) has been the primary choice in goal for Toronto. Andersen has 21 wins, 12 losses, and four OT losses to his name and has registered a .916 save percentage and 2.67 goals against average this year.
The Leafs will be led on offense by Auston Matthews (27 goals, 22 assists).
New York Islanders at Toronto Maple Leafs Betting Predictions
Free NHL Tip: SU Winner – Maple Leafs, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- For both of these teams, the over has hit in four of their last five matchups.
- New York has managed 28.2 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Toronto is averaging 36.4 shots per game over its last five at home.
- Penalties and power plays may play a critical role tonight. The Islanders are 3-3 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 16-10 when they’re in the box for fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Maple Leafs are 9-7 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 18-15 when they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
- Toronto is 1-2 in games decided by a shootout this season while New York is 3-1 in shootouts.
- Toronto is ranked 14th in the league this season with 7.8 takeaways per game. That figure has trended upward recently, as it has averaged 10.8 takeaways over its last 10 games and 10.0 takeaways over its last five.
- New York is ranked 15th in the league with 7.7 takeaways per game. That figure has trended upward, as it has forced 8.9 takeaways over its last 10 games and 8.6 takeaways over its last five.
- New York might hold the upper hand if this one comes down to the wire. The team’s an impressive 13-6 in one-goal games, while Toronto is 5-9 in such games.
