Toronto Maple Leafs at Dallas Stars Free Preview 1/29/20

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The Toronto Maple Leafs, led by Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner, are set to take the ice against Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov, and the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center for an East-West showdown. Sportsnet will air the matchup, and the opening face-off takes place at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 29.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Dallas Stars Odds

The Stars (-115) are favored over the Maple Leafs (-105) and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at an even 6 goals (-105 for the over, -115 for the under).

Dallas is 28-21 straight up (SU) and has netted moneyline bettors 3.5 units this year. That winning percentage, the second-best in the Central Division so far this season, isn’t too far off from to what the team produced during the 2018-19 season (43-39). 31 of its 49 games have gone under the total, while 16 have gone over and just two have pushed. This year, the team’s 16-9 SU at home.

The Stars have converted on 19.1 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked fourth overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 83.4 percent of all penalties.

Averaging 26.8 saves per game with a .927 save percentage, Ben Bishop (19-14-3) has been the primary option in goal for the Stars this year. If Dallas decides to give him the night off, however, the team may turn to Anton Khudobin (11-9-9 record, .927 save percentage, 2.30 goals against average).

On the other side of the ice, Toronto is 26-24 straight up (SU) and has lost 7.6 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year. Through 50 regular season outings, 29 of its games have gone over the total, while 19 have gone under the total and just two have pushed. The Maple Leafs are 14-11 SU as a road team this season.

The Maple Leafs have converted on 23.7 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that’s good enough for seventh-best in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 25th overall and it’s successfully killed off 76.4 percent of all opponent power plays.

Frederik Andersen (2.86 goals against average and .910 save percentage) has been the main option in goal for Toronto. Andersen is averaging 28.2 saves per game and owns a 23-17-6 record.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Dallas Stars Betting Predictions

Free Pick: SU Winner – Maple Leafs, O/U – Under

Betting Notes

  • Over Dallas’ last ten outings, six of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 4-2 in those games).
  • The Maple Leafs are 10-9 SU when they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent while the Stars are 15-9 SU in games where they spend more time in the box than the opposition.
  • Two of Toronto’s last ten games have ended in a shootout. The team is 0-2 in those games and 1-4 overall in shootouts this season.
  • Dallas may have an advantage if it’s a tight one late. The team’s 12-10 in games decided by one goal, while Toronto is only 5-11 in such games.
  • The over has hit in four of Toronto’s last five games.
  • Toronto skaters have averaged 8.0 giveaways over its last five home games, an improvement from its season average of 11.3 giveaways per game (ranked 23rd in the league).
  • Dallas is ranked 30th this season with 12.6 giveaways per game. That figure has trended down recently, however, as the team’s averaged 10.2 giveaways over its last 10 games and 10.6 giveaways over its last five.