In most cases, we don’t get to see teams play back to back games until we get to the postseason. Every now and again, though, the schedule makers will throw in a regular season wrinkle where we get to see the same two teams play a home and home series. Much like the playoffs, we get to see just how difficult it is to beat the same team twice in the matter of a couple of days. That said, there are times when one team is able to dominate the other, no matter how regularly the play, which is why we sometimes see a sweep in the playoffs. We might well see a regular season sweep on Thursday night, as the Pittsburgh Penguins have a shot at beating the Maple Leafs for the third straight time this season, including a win at home just a couple of nights ago. The Penguins have absolutely hammered the Leafs in each of the last two meetings and will be out to hammer the final nail in that coffin on Wednesday night. The Maple Leafs are favored by 1 ½ at home, with the goal total set at 6 ½. Let’s see how the NHL odds will be for the Penguins vs Maple Leafs.
Penguins vs Maple Leafs 2020 NHL Game Preview & Betting Odds
- When: Thursday, February 20 at 7 PM EST
- Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton
- Radio: Pittsburgh / Toronto
- TV: ESPN+
- NHL Odds: Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 / Total 6.5
Why bet on the Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins survived some serious injury issues earlier in the season and now look like one of the teams to beat in the quest for the Stanley Cup. They are on a 3-game winning streak that has taken them to the top of the Metropolitan Division, one point up on the Washington Capitals. Pittsburgh has now gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games to go to 37-15-6 on the season. As mentioned earlier, the Penguins have now beaten the Leafs twice this season, outscoring them 11-3 in the process, which makes it a little surprising that they are in as the underdog for this one. Pittsburgh has been better at home this season, but they are still a pretty respectable 15-10-2 on the road this season, going 14-13 ATS in those games.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.38
- Shots: 31.88
- PP/PK Percentage: 21.89
- Goals: 2.66
- Shots: 30.24
- PP/PK Percentage: 17.09
Why bet on the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading in the wrong direction at the very worst time, as they have now slipped below the playoff line with time running out on the regular season. With the 5-1 loss to the Penguins on Tuesday night, the Leafs have now lost 2 in a row to fall to 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. The Maple Leafs are now 31-22-8 on the season, which has them on 70 points for the year, 2 points below the playoff line. This is a team that got a shake-up early in the season with a coaching change, but they now look as though they need another shake, so perhaps pay attention to what they do at the trade deadline. The Leafs are 15-8-7 at home, although just 9-21 ATS in those games.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.49
- Shots: 33.31
- PP/PK Percentage: 23.95
- Goals: 3.34
- Shots: 31.98
- PP/PK Percentage: 23.26
Penguins vs Maple Leafs NHL Betting Trends
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 6 games.
- Pittsburgh are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh’s last 6 games on the road.
- Pittsburgh are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto.
- The total has gone OVER in 12 of Toronto’s last 18 games.
- Toronto are 3-6 SU in their last 9 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto’s last 9 games against Pittsburgh.
- Toronto are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh.
Penguins vs Maple Leafs Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
As we have already said, it’s tough to beat the same team in back to back games, but the Penguins look so far ahead of the Maple Leafs right now, so that I why I am taking them to complete the regular season sweep.
Pittsburgh Penguins 4 Toronto Maple Leafs 2
