Our Sabres vs. Maple Leafs predictions expect Auston Matthews to find the back of the net against a team he's dominated throughout his career.
NHL
We’ve got 13 games on the NHL betting slate tonight, including a divisional matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres
Win, lose, or draw — Auston Matthews finds a way to score whenever Toronto plays Buffalo, and I expect that trend to continue tonight.
Find out why with my Sabres vs. Maple Leafs predictions and NHL picks for tonight’s game.
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Sabres vs Maple Leafs Best bet: Auston Matthews anytime goalscorer (-105)
The battle of the QEW shifts north of the border as the Toronto Maple Leafs look to get a series split against the Buffalo Sabres.
The Buds had a good record in back-to-backs last season, going 10-4-2, averaging 3.25 goals per game. Toronto is hoping to tap back into that after falling to Buffalo 5-3 last night.
The Leafs did receive a goal from their captain, Auston Matthews, however. It was a beautiful one-timer under the bar, which could be a positive sign for him in refinding his form.
Matthews leads the NHL in expected goals (5.9), per MoneyPuck, so one could argue that he’s been a bit unlucky to start the season, and the law of averages may suggest that a goal-scoring bender may come sooner rather than later.
Additionally, Matthews has always produced against the Sabres. He has 22 career goals against the cross-border rival, scoring in three straight contests, netting 10 goals over the last eight games against Buffalo.
With the Leafs shorthanded at home, they’ll need their captain to come up big on home ice.
Back-to-backs are typically sloppier and higher scoring, so I’ll add the Over 6.5 to tonight’s SGP. The total went Over the number last night and has gone 6-3-1 over the last 10 meetings.
For the final leg of the SGP, I’ll add John Tavares to go Over 2.5 shots as my third leg. He’s had 3+ shots in back-to-back games, and without Nylander on his wing, that should allow for more shooting opportunities.
Additionally, the Sabres are allowing 33.25 shots against per game, so there should be ample opportunity to fire away.
The Maple Leafs have won five of their last six games against the Sabres. Find more NHL betting trends for Sabres vs. Maple Leafs.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Mike DiStefano joins Covers after a successful five-year stint with TSN. Distefano hosted Leafs Lunch, a Toronto Maple Leafs-centric radio show which featured a daily best bets segment where he found the biggest and best value plays of the night. He was also a weekly staple on TSN’s flagship radio/tv show “OverDrive” as a betting analyst during their NFL picks segment #TeamAl-DogForever.
A graduate of Centennial College’s Sports Journalism program, Mike has also contributed to the Canadian Baseball Network, FanSided, and The Hockey News.
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