David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and the Boston Bruins will do battle against Morgan Rielly, Mitchell Marner, and the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena in an Original Six showdown. The opening faceoff will be at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 19, and it will be broadcasted live on New England Sports Network.
Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs Odds
The money line for either side is currently set at an identical -110 and oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals (-110 over, -110 under).
Boston is 5-2 straight up (SU) and has earned 2.9 units for moneyline bettors this year. That SU winning percentage, the second-best in the Atlantic Division so far in this young season, is fairly close to what the team managed during the 2018-19 season (49-33). Through seven regular season matches, Four of its games have gone over the total, while three have gone under and none have pushed. The Bruins are 3-1 SU on the road in 2019-20.
The Bruins have impressively found the net on 38.1 percent of their power play opportunities so far. That’s a noticeable improvement from last season, when they were ranked second in the league by scoring on 27.6 percent of their extra-man chances. Their penalty kill has also gotten stronger, as they’ve gone from successfully defending 81.8 percent of all opponent power plays (ranked seventh overall last season) to 86.4 percent this year..
Averaging 30.8 saves per game with a .946 save percentage, Tuukka Rask (3-1-1) has been the best option in goal for Boston this year. If it chooses to rest him, however, the team could go with Jaroslav Halak (2-1 record, .951 save percentage, 1.69 goals against average).
On the other side of the rink, Toronto is 4-4 straight up (SU) and has lost 1.0 unit for moneyline bettors thus far. Five of its matches have gone over the total, while two have gone under and just one has pushed. The team is 2-3 SU at home so far this year.
The Maple Leafs have scored on 26.9 percent of their extra-man advantages this year after converting on 20.9 percent (ranked 11th in league) last season. They’ve killed off a remarkable 80.8 percent of their penalties, compared to 78.5 percent a year ago (when they were ranked 25th overall).
Frederik Andersen has denied 25.2 shots per game as the primary selection in the crease for the Maple Leafs. Andersen has four wins and two losses and has registered a pedestrian 3.14 goals against average and a poor .893 save percentage this year.
Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs Betting Predictions
Pick: SU Winner – Maple Leafs, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- The Maple Leafs are 0-3 SU when they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent while the Bruins are 3-1 SU in games where they serve more minutes than the opposition.
- Boston could have an advantage if this one comes down to the wire. The team’s 3-1 in one-goal games, while Toronto is 0-3 in such games.
- For both of these clubs, the game went over the total in three of their last five matchups.
