NHL Best Bets: Hurricanes vs. Maple Leafs Game Picks

Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference are set to collide later tonight, with the Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Carolina Hurricanes.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Carolina Hurricanes (+106) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (-128) Total: 6.5 (O+110, U-134) 

 This will be the second of three meetings between these two Stanley Cup contenders, with the opening matchup seeing Toronto pick up a 3-1 victory back on November 6. There’s not much separating these teams with their moneyline prices tonight, considering that the Maple Leafs are listed as slight home favorites at -128, while the Hurricanes are sitting at +106. The Hurricanes have picked up seven more points in the standings and are fighting for the top spot in the Metropolitan division. 

Entering this contest, there hasn’t been one team playing much better than the other. The Hurricanes have posted a  6-4 record over their past ten games, while the Maple Leafs are sitting at 6-3-1 over that same sample size. You can understand the tightness in the moneyline prices between these sides. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup tonight, the visiting Hurricanes are expected to start Frederik Andersen, while the Maple Leafs should be countering with Ilya Samsonov. Carolina’s starting netminder has posted a 17-7 record, paired with a .903 save percentage, while Samsonov is sitting at 23-8-3, along with a .916 save percentage. With these numbers in mind, the Maple Leafs should have the edge in goal tonight. 

There isn’t much separating these teams on the ice regarding what they’re bringing to the table, but Toronto certainly has the star power to put them over the top. With that, targeting the home side to put on a show tonight and pick up a victory is the direction we’ll be happy to side with. 

Best Bet: Maple Leafs moneyline (-128) 

Goal-scoring is still a strength of both clubs, but defense is the best thing each side has going for them. The Leafs and Canes both sit inside the top five in goals allowed per game, meaning another low-scoring affair could be prevalent here tonight. Over the Hurricanes’ past five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored twice, while the Maple Leafs have had that transpire three times. Still, it’s hard to see a lot of offense being present here with the defensive prowess each side boasts, meaning targeting the under 6.5 at -134 is where the value is. 

Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-134) 

There’s a lot of elite talent on this Maple Leafs squad, and that will help us find some value in this matchup, even when you factor in that we’re expecting a rather tight defensive affair. It certainly hasn’t been the type of season that Auston Matthews has been accustomed to in the goal-scoring department, but he’s slowly starting to find his stride of late. The elite sniper has three goals over Toronto’s past five games to lead the club. Matthews’s big frame will allow him to be a difference-maker in this matchup, meaning targeting him to find the back of the net has value at -110. 

Best Prop: Auston Matthews to Record Over 0.5 Goals (-110)