Anaheim Vs Toronto NHL Betting Guide

I have spoken before about expectations, and how teams are often burdened by what people think they will do as opposed to what they are actually capable of. It was widely believed that the Anaheim Ducks would come into this NHL season and tear up the Western Conference, but it took them an awful long time to get things rolling to reach the point they are at now. The Toronto Maple Leafs were expected to be the team that would be the worst in the league, and the bad news for their fans is that they are living up to those expectations. They are a team headed in the right direction, though, and a top draft pick this coming offseason may just serve as the next step in their rebuilding efforts. These two teams will hook up on Thursday night in Toronto, and the expectation here is that the Ducks will skate to an easy win. Keep up to date with all the odds for this one at MyBookie.

Anaheim Ducks Vs Toronto Maple Leafs NHL Betting Guide

When: Thursday, March 24 at 7:30 PM ESTWhere: Air Canada Centre, TorontoTV: FSW2 and RSNONTRadio: KLAA and CHUMNHL Odds: TBA

Why bet on the Anaheim Ducks

When you look at where the Anaheim Ducks (40-23-9) are right now, it’s easy to forget just how poor they were at the start of the season. This was a team that seemed totally incapable of putting the puck in the net, and who looked as though they were going to be the biggest disappointment of the year. To their credit, they have turned things around in a big way, although it has to be said that playing in a very weak Pacific Division has certainly helped. The Ducks are just 4 points back of the Kings for first in the division, but will need to be better than their 5-4-1 record in the last 10 games if they want to close the gap. The Ducks are averaging 2.5 GPG, and are giving up 2.3 GPG.

Why bet on the Toronto Maple Leafs

This was always going to be a long, painful season for the Toronto Maple Leafs (26-35-11), but at least now fans have reason to feel optimistic about the future. The hiring of Mike Babcock as the new head coach was a great move, and he is going to have a top draft pick to build this team around next season. The Leafs have not been totally awful this season, and may actually be a little better than most expected. They have actually now won 2 games in a row, and are coming into this one having gone 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. They are just 1 game below .500 at home, and are never an easy out in their own building. Toronto are averaging 2.3 GPG, and are giving up 2.8 GPG.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

These two teams met earlier in the season in Anaheim, and it was the Leafs that won 4-0. That came at a time before the Ducks woke up and started playing good hockey, and I think we can expect a much different result this time around.

Anaheim Ducks 5 Toronto Maple Leafs 2