The Toronto Maple Leafs (32-23-8) head down to the Suncoast of Florida to battle the Tampa Bay Lightning (40-17-5) Tuesday at the Amalie Arena at 7 p.m. ET. We analyze the Maple Leafs-Lightning sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Maple Leafs at Lightning: Projected starting goalies
Frederik Andersen vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy
Andersen heads into this one with a 25-13-6 record, 2.98 goals against average and .906 save percentage with two shutouts. He is coming off an ultra-embarrassing loss Saturday night to the Carolina Hurricanes, who had to use an emergency goalie. Yes, Andersen was bested by a 42-year-old Zamboni driver, David Ayres, who just happens to serve as a practice goalie for the Leafs on occasion.
The defending Vezina Trophy champ Vasilevskiy has posted a 32-11-3 record, 2.58 GAA and .916 SV% with two shutouts. He allowed three goals on 28 shots in a 7-3 win at Toronto back on Oct. 10 in his first meeting with the Leafs. The Lightning went out and added D Zach Bogosian to help out in front of the goalie, too, while also adding some grit in the form of F Barclay Goodrow.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Maple Leafs at Lightning: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 2:10 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Lightning 5, Maple Leafs 2
Moneyline (ML)
The Lightning (-189) are a little too rich for my blood, as this is just above the threshold of what I like to risk. The Maple Leafs (+155) are a tempting play, as you have to figure they’ll be a bit angry after their embarrassing loss, right? Well, they don’t seem to be playing with a lot of urgency lately, so look to the home side on the puck line. AVOID a ML play.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Lightning to win returns a profit of $5.29, while a $10 wager on the Maple Leafs results in a profit of $15.50.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The LIGHTNING (-1.5, +135) is a nice value given the state of the Maple Leafs (+1.5, -162) right now. Toronto has dropped four of five against winning teams, while Tampa is a whopping 13-3 in its past 16 against winning sides. The ‘Ning have also dominated their Atlantic Division rivals from Hogtown, going 6-1 in the past seven meetings overall and 8-3 in the past 11 at Amalie.
Over/Under (O/U)
The OVER 6.5 (-110) is worth a small-unit wager. Andersen has been a sieve lately, and he is likely to struggle against Tampa Bay’s high-octane offense. The Over has connected in seven of the past nine roadies for Toronto, while going 5-2 in their past seven against winning teams. The Over is 4-0 in Tampa’s past four, too, and 16-6-3 in the past 25 in their barn.
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=2059]