DiStefano's prediction: The Maple Leafs apply the pressure on the Connor Bedard-less Blackhawks, and win by a margin of at least two.
NHL
Chicago Blackhawks superstar Conor Bedard’s injury looms large for this matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs and for the entirety of his absence.
My Blackhawks vs. Maple Leafs predictions and NHL picks for this Tuesday, December 16, matchup highlight how Toronto will take advantage and win by multiple tallies.
Blackhawks vs Maple Leafs best bet: Maple Leafs -1.5 (+120)
The Toronto Maple Leafs have won three of their last four meetings against the Chicago Blackhawks at Scotiabank, covering the puck line in all three wins.
There are three reasons why I like the Maple Leafs to win big again tonight.
Firstly, the Hawks will be without Connor Bedard, who injured his shoulder late last week. Bedard has factored in on 48% of Chicago’s total goals this season, so I don’t have much confidence in this team generating much offense without him.
Secondly, Chicago has struggled to keep the puck out of the net while on the road this season, allowing 3.5 goals per outing.
This leads me to the third reason I’m backing the Buds to have a big night: It’s time for the big boys to break through.
Craig Berube called out his stars after Saturday’s Edmonton loss, and I expect a response from his top offensive contributors.
Both Auston Matthews and William Nylander average 1.31 points per game in their careers against the Blackhawks, while John Tavares also averages over a point per game and has 11 goals in 13 games against them.
Furthermore, I’m anticipating a Leafs offensive explosion tonight and don’t expect much from a Bedard-less Hawks team, which should allow the Leafs to cover the plus-money puck line.
Tavares has 11 goals in 13 games against the Blackhawks since becoming a Maple Leaf.
Matthews has been a shooting machine lately, averaging four shots per game over his last nine outings since returning from injury. Additionally, the Hawks allow the fifth-most shots on goal per game this season.
The Over is 6-4 in the last 10 games between the two teams. Find more NHL betting trends for Blackhawks vs. Maple Leafs.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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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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