The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Toronto Maple Leafs continue their best-of-five Eastern Conference qualification round series Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, one of two hub locations for the NHL restart. We analyze the Blue Jackets-Maple Leafs NHL betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Series: Blue Jackets lead 1-0.
Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs: Projected starting goalies
Joonas Korpisalo vs. Frederik Andersen
Making his first career playoff start, Korpisalo turned aside all 28 shots he faced in a 2-0 victory in the series opener. It was quite an impressive shutout considering the fact the Leafs were third in the NHL during the regular season with 237 goals. In addition, Columbus was 0-1-1 in two meetings during the regular season, and Korpisalo just barely edged out rookie Elvis Merzlikins in training camp for the starting job. There won’t be any doubt as to the starter in Game 2.
Andersen was equal to the task for the first two periods, but Cam Atkinson beat the Dane early in the third period to break the ice. That’s all Andersen would allow, as his offense gave him absolutely no support. Alexander Wennberg added an empty-net goal, but that obviously doesn’t go on Andersen’s ledger.
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Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Maple Leafs 3, Blue Jackets 1
Moneyline (ML)
The MAPLE LEAFS (-154) scored more goals than just two other teams in the NHL, yet mustered a goose egg on their home ice? That won’t happen again. We saw this movie last season with the Blue Jackets (+130) stunning the top-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning. Are we going to see the sequel? It’s doubtful, as Toronto should be able to bounce back against a goalie with just one career playoff start under his belt.
New to sports betting? A winning $10 bet on the Maple Leafs to win returns a profit of $6.49, while a $10 wager on the Blue Jackets results in a profit of $13.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The MAPLE LEAFS (-1.5, +170) laid a major egg in Game 1, so playing them on the puck line is risky business. However, just like we saw the Pittsburgh Penguins rebound in Game 2 against the heavy underdog Montreal Canadiens, we’ll see the Leafs make amends for their ugly opening loss with a bounce-back victory by at least two goals.
Over/Under (O/U)
The UNDER 5.5 (-121) is the way to go here. Toronto had the shackles thrown on its superstar forwards in Game 1, but it should break out somewhat. Andersen will have to be superb again in Game 2, and he will be. Look for a defensive battle.
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