While it is certainly great to have a successful regular season in the NHL, it is not a sign that playoff success and the Stanley Cup are just around the corner. The Washington Capitals are the perfect example of that, routinely winning the President’s Trophy for the best regular season record, only to crash out in the early rounds of the playoffs. The teams in the hunt for the best regular season record will be well aware of this stat and will also be aware that simply winning a lot in the regular season means nothing in the grand scheme of things. That is where the Nashville Predators are right now, as they are currently holding the best record in the league, which is why they come in as the favorites at the NHL spread for this contest.
The difference between them and the Capitals of recent seasons, though, is that the Predators have seen success in the postseason, making it all the way to the Final last year before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It can be argued that this Nashville team is better than last year, just as the NHL odds indicate week after week, but they will get a solid test on Thursday night from the Toronto Maple Leafs, another team with Stanley Cup intentions.
As we mentioned earlier, the Predators have turned their home ice into a fortress, going 25-7-4 in their own building this season. This is a team that is on fire right now, going 9-0-1 in their last 10 games, which includes their current 4-game winning streak. They have their eyes on the President’s Trophy and are currently 2 points up on the Tampa Bay Lightning for the best record overall.
Maple Leafs vs. Predators Game Info, NHL Spread & Prediction
Pekka’s Vezina bid keeps getting stronger, folks. 💪 pic.twitter.com/dXBCR1ekNT
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) 20 de marzo de 2018
- When: Thursday, March 22 at 8 PM EST
- Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville
- TV: RSN-ONT and FSSM
- Radio: 1050 AM (Toronto) / 560 AM (Nashville)
- NHL Spread: Nashville Predators -1.5 (Over/Under at 6)
Team Records
- All: Toronto Maple Leafs 43-23-7 / Nashville Predators 48-14-10
- Home: Toronto Maple Leafs 25-8-2 / Nashville Predators 25-7-4
- Away: Toronto Maple Leafs 18-15-5 / Nashville Predators 23-7-6
- ATS: Toronto Maple Leafs 31-42 / Nashville Predators 37-35
- Over/Under: Toronto Maple Leafs 36-32-5 / Nashville Predators 35-36-1
NHL Odds & Expert Pick: Golden Knights vs. Sharks
Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)
- Score: Toronto Maple Leafs 5-5-0 / Nashville Predators 5-3-2
- Shots: Toronto Maple Leafs 28.10 / Nashville Predators 31.30
- Power Play Goals: Toronto Maple Leafs 6 / Nashville Predators 6
- Number of Power Plays: Toronto Maple Leafs 28 / Nashville Predators 31
- Power Play Percentage: Toronto Maple Leafs 21.43 / Nashville Predators 19.35
- Penalty Kill Percentage: Toronto Maple Leafs 80.65 / Nashville Predators 78.57
Why bet on the Toronto Maple Leafs?
The Maple Leafs saw their 4-game winning streak snapped by the Tampa Bay Lightning the other night, effectively killing any shot they had at running down the Atlantic Division leaders in the closing stages of the season. That loss took the Leafs to 5-3-2 in their last 10 games and 18-15-5 on the road. Things don’t get much easier for them here, as Nashville has proven to be very tough to beat in their own building. Toronto has not been particularly good ATS all season long, going 31-42, but they have been particularly weak ATS on the road, covering just 11 times in 35 attempts. The Leafs are top 5 in scoring in the NHL and are also very good on the Power Play, but they are going up against the stingiest defense that hockey has to offer, a defense that gets even better on home ice.Team Statistics
Offense- Goals: 3.37
- Shots: 32.10
- PP/PK Percentage: 23.00
- Goals: 2.85
- Shots: 34.00
- PP/PK Percentage: 17.65
Why bet on the Nashville Predators?
The Nashville Predators looked at their loss in the Stanley Cup Final last year and decided to do something about it. Their defense was astounding last year, but they lacked that killer offensive touch that may just have taken them over the top. Things are very different this time around, as this team is now averaging 3.2 GPG, which is good enough to put them in the top 10 in scoring.
As we mentioned earlier, the Predators have turned their home ice into a fortress, going 25-7-4 in their own building this season. This is a team that is on fire right now, going 9-0-1 in their last 10 games, which includes their current 4-game winning streak. They have their eyes on the President’s Trophy and are currently 2 points up on the Tampa Bay Lightning for the best record overall.
Team Statistics
Offense- Goals: 3.28
- Shots: 32.43
- PP/PK Percentage: 20.92
- Goals: 2.47
- Shots: 32.29
- PP/PK Percentage: 16.99
Latest NHL Betting Trends
- Maple Leafs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games
- Maple Leafs are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto’s last 7 games
- Predators are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games
- Predators are 14-1 SU in their last 15 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nashville’s last 5 games
