The Leafs are not a great team at limiting chances for the opposition, and a matchup with the Hurricanes will highlight that. As Mike DiStefano explains, Joseph Wall is in store for a busy night.
NHL
We’ve got 10 games on the NHL betting slate tonight, including an Eastern Conference matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Carolina Hurricanes.
This is a tough matchup for Toronto, and my Maple Leafs vs. Hurricanes predictions believe Carolina’s puck-dominant style of play should keep Joseph Woll plenty busy between the pipes tonight.
Find out why with my free NHL picks for Tuesday, December 4.
Maple Leafs vs Hurricanes Best bet: Joseph Woll O 28.5 saves (-120)
No team in the NHL has played at the same level of consistency for nearly a decade like the Carolina Hurricanes.
Head coach Rod Brind’Amore has his systems, and the Canes execute them to perfection year after year, and this season is no different.
Carolina is 16-7-2 and atop of the Metro standings. They’re averaging 3.4 goals per game and a staggering 33.2 shots on net this season, ranking them second in the league behind only Colorado.
This is largely due to Carolina dominating the possession game this season with 45.7% offensive zone time, per NHL Edge, which is the best mark in the league
The Toronto Maple Leafs, however, rank 26th in D-zone time, which has resulted in the Leafs surrendering the 2nd most shots on goal per game this season, allowing an average of 31.2 per game.
In other words, the Leafs spend too much time in their own zone and give up too many shots. Meanwhile, Carolina spends the most time in the opposition’s end rifling pucks on goal at high volumes.
Enter Joseph Woll, the Leafs’ projected starter tonight in Carolina. If these trends continue, the Canes should spend a lot of time in the Leafs’ end tonight to keep Woll busy.
His save total is set at 28.5, and I think he goes over that number. The Leafs have surrendered 30+ shots in five of Woll’s seven starts this season, and I don’t expect that trend to change against one of the more dominant teams in hockey.
The Leafs are also still without top defenders Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo. I think that’ll be exposed more tonight than in their two previous games, leading to a loft shot total for the Canes.
I’ll add John Tavares going over 2.5 shots on goal to my SGP. The Leafs’ veteran leads the team with 80 shots this year and has gone over tonight’s posted total 11 times in his last 13 games. So we’ll add that to the SGP.
For the final leg, I’ll take the Leafs on the puck line. They’ve played better hockey lately, and Carolina has been in a lot of tight games, covering their -1.5 line just once over their last nine games.
The Hurricanes are 6-4 on the moneyline over the last 10 meetings between the two teams. Find more NHL betting trends for Maple Leafs vs. Hurricanes.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
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.
If you choose to make use of any information on this website including online sports betting services from any websites that may be featured on this website, we strongly recommend that you carefully check your local laws before doing so.It is your sole responsibility to understand your local laws and observe them strictly.Covers does not provide any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in your relevant locality.Covers disclaims all liability associated with your use of this website and use of any information contained on it.As a condition of using this website, you agree to hold the owner of this website harmless from any claims arising from your use of any services on any third party website that may be featured by Covers.