Scotiabank Arena is playing host to an intriguing matchup as the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the visiting Dallas Stars. It’s the final time that the two clubs will go at it in the regular season. Fox Sports Southwest will broadcast this East-West matchup, and the action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 13.
Dallas Stars at Toronto Maple Leafs Odds
Dallas (+115) is entering this one as the underdog to Toronto (-135) and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at an even 6 goals. If you want to play the game’s total, you’ll be looking at odds of -105 money on the over and -115 on the under.
Dallas is 32-24 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 4.1 units this year. Through 56 regular season outings, 35 of its games have gone under the total, while 19 have gone over and just two have pushed. The Stars are 15-13 SU on the road in 2019-20.
Dallas has converted on 20.2 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 10th overall, and it has successfully killed off 82.4 percent of all penalties.
For the team as a whole, Dallas has been penalized 3.6 times per game during the 2019-20 season, and 4.4 per game over its last five on the road. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 8.0 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 27.2 saves per game with a .924 save percentage, Ben Bishop (20-17-4) has been the top option in goal for Dallas this season. If it decides to rest him, however, the team might turn to Anton Khudobin (14-9-1), who has a .928 save percentage and 2.26 goals against average this year.
Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn will both lead the offensive attack for the visiting Stars. Seguin has 41 points via 11 goals and 30 assists, and has recorded multiple points 10 times. Benn has 18 goals and 13 assists to his credit (and has registered at least one point in 22 games).
Over on the other bench, Toronto is 30-27 straight up (SU) and has lost 7.8 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 57 regular season matches, 33 of its games have gone over the total, while 22 have gone under and just two have pushed. It’s 15-14 SU at home this year.
Toronto has converted on 24.5 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a mark that places it in the top-5 among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 24th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 77.8 percent of all opponent power plays.
The Maple Leafs have been penalized only 3.1 times per game this season, and 2.5 per game over their past ten games. The team has been forced to stave off opponent power plays just 5.3 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Frederik Andersen has stopped 27.8 shots per game as the primary choice in the crease for Toronto. Andersen has 24 wins, 18 losses, and six overtime losses to his credit and has registered a mediocre 2.87 goals against average and a .910 save percentage this season.
Auston Matthews (40 goals, 28 assists) will lead the attack for the Maple Leafs.
Dallas Stars at Toronto Maple Leafs Free Picks
Free NHL Tip: SU Winner – Stars, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- For both of these teams, the game went over the total in three of their past five outings.
- Dallas has managed 28.8 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Toronto is averaging 35.8 shots per game over its last five at home.
- The Stars are 16-10 SU when they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent while the Maple Leafs are 11-9 SU in games where they serve more minutes than their opponent.
- Dallas is 2-2 in games decided by a shootout this season while Toronto is 1-4 in shootouts.
- Toronto skaters have managed 9.2 takeaways per game over its last five home games, an improvement over its season average of 8.2 takeaways per game (ranked 10th overall).
- Dallas skaters have created 6.0 takeaways per game over its last five road games, a drop-off from its season average of 7.4 takeaways per game (ranked 16th overall).
- Dallas could hold an advantage if it’s a tight one late. The team’s 14-12 in games decided by one goal, while Toronto is 8-12 in such games.
