While winning the Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal of every team at the start of the NHL season, the reality is that it all begins by simply getting into the playoffs. As we have seen in the past, any team can get hot and make a run, just like the St. Louis Blues did last season. That said, it’s still always good to get a high seeding heading into the postseason, as we all know just how important it is to have home ice advantage. In the Eastern Conference, it is beginning to look as though the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning are going to be slugging it out for the top spot. Those two have opened up a little bit of a gap and look like the best bets for the President’s Trophy, although there are a couple of teams who are within reach of them. One of those teams would be the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are on a solid run of form at the moment. Winning the division is the most important thing for the Penguins, though, and they will try to get their noses in front when they host the Toronto maple Leafs on Tuesday night. The Penguins are favored by 1 ½ on home ice, with the goal total set at 6 ½. Let’s see how the NHL betting odds will be for the Maple Leafs vs Penguins.
Maple Leafs vs Penguins 2020 NHL Betting Lines & Game Preview
- When: Tuesday, February 18 at 7 PM EST
- Where: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh
- Radio: Toronto / Pittsburgh
- TV: NBCSN
- NHL Odds: TBA
Why bet on the Toronto Maple Leafs
For the past couple of seasons, it has looked as though the Toronto Maple Leafs have been ready to make a serious breakthrough, That has yet to happen, though, which is why the Leafs front office decided to make a coaching change early in the season. It was a bold move, but it’s one that is not going as well as planned. The Leafs are third in the division with a record of 31-21-8, but they are not that far above the playoff line right now, with the Panthers and a host of others very much hot on their heels. The Leafs are coming into this one off a loss and are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. They were absolutely pounded the last time they faced the Penguins, going down 6-1. On the road, the Leafs have posted a 16-31-1 record.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.52
- Shots: 33.27
- PP/PK Percentage: 24.54
- Goals: 3.32
- Shots: 32.12
- PP/PK Percentage: 21.89
Why bet on the Pittsburgh Penguins
It is never easy to beat the same team twice in consecutive games, but that is what the Penguins will be looking to do over the next couple of days, with both of their upcoming games being against the Leafs. Playing on home ice in the first of these two games will give the Penguins a shot at breaking the spirit of a Leafs team that s not playing particularly well at the moment. The Penguins have been very good in their own building, going 21-5-4 there this year. As mentioned earlier, they have also been hot over the past few weeks, going 7-2-1 in their last 10 and winning back to back games ahead of this one.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.35
- Shots: 32.02
- PP/PK Percentage: 20.48
- Goals: 2.67
- Shots: 30.14
- PP/PK Percentage: 17.53
Maple Leafs vs Penguins NHL Betting Trends
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto’s last 5 games.
- Toronto are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games against Pittsburgh.
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto’s last 8 games on the road.
- Toronto are 4-10 SU in their last 14 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh.
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 5 games.
- Pittsburgh are 11-4 SU in their last 15 games.
- Pittsburgh are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games at home.
- Pittsburgh are 10-4 SU in their last 14 games when playing at home against Toronto.
Maple Leafs vs Penguins Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
Like I said, it’s never easy to beat the same team in back to back games, but given the current state of both of these teams, I wouldn’t bet against the Penguins doing it.
Toronto Maple Leafs 2 Pittsburgh Penguins 5
