The Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs meet for Game 7 of their 1st-round Eastern Conference playoff series Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The series is tied 3-3. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we look at the Lightning vs. Maple Leafs Game 7 odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
The 2-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning look to keep their pursuit of a 3-peat alive in this Game 7 north of the border. The Lightning are just 1-2 in Toronto in this series, getting outscored 12-8.
The Maple Leafs haven’t won a playoff series since 2004. That’s the bad news. The good news is that they’ve lost a Game 7 on home ice just twice in franchise history. Of course, last season in the 1st round was one of those setbacks.
Lightning at Maple Leafs odds and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:10 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Lightning +102 (bet $100 to win $102) | Maple Leafs -125 (bet $125 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Lightning +1.5 (-230) | Maple Leafs -1.5 (+170)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
Lightning at Maple Leafs projected goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy (39-18-5, 2.49 GAA, .916 SV%, 2 SO – regular season) vs. Jack Campbell (31-9-6, 2.64 GAA, .914 SV%, 5 SO – regular season)
Vasilevskiy allowed just 3 goals on 33 shots in a Game 6 overtime victory in Tampa, one of his finest performances of the series. He is now 3-3-0 with a 3.37 GAA and .885 SV% so far in the postseason.
Campbell was staked to a 3-2 lead late in the 2nd period, but C Brayden Point had other ideas in overtime. Campbell is playing right on part with Vasilevskiy, going 3-3-0 with a 3.33 GAA and .893 SV% through 6 playoff games.
[tipico]
Lightning at Maple Leafs picks and predictions
Prediction
Lightning 4, Maple Leafs 2
Money line
The LIGHTNING (+102) are the play as short ‘dogs against the Maple Leafs, who have just been atrocious in recent postseason history. In fact, following Toronto’s Game 6 loss in Tampa, the Leafs are now 0-9 in the past 9 tries when trying to eliminate an opponent. It’s going to be the same old story in Toronto with yet another disappointing postseason setback.
Against the spread
The Lightning +1.5 (-230) are way too expensive on the puck line. Just play Tampa Bay straight up if you like them, rather than risking a ton of money for such little return.
AVOID.
Over/Under
UNDER 6.5 (-107) is the lean, ever so slightly. Typically a Game 7 will be on the lower-scoring side, as nerves tend to get the best of teams and goaltenders reign supreme. Even with two high-octane offenses, we’ll play the Under here.
Watch: ESPN+ has become a must-have for hockey fans. Get access to more than 1,000 out-of-market NHL games, 75 weekly national games, and more all season. Sign up for ESPN+ now!
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]