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The Toronto Maple Leafs (38-22-3) wrap up a 3-game road trip Monday against the Utah Hockey Club (28-25-10) at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Puck drop is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Maple Leafs vs. Utah Hockey Club odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: Maple Leafs lead 1-0
Toronto won the first meeting 3-2 at Scotiabank Arena on Nov. 24 as G Joseph Woll turned aside 24 of 26 shots. RW Mitch Marner scored a pair of goals to provide ample support and RW William Nylander notched the game-winning goal. Utah’s C Logan Cooley had a power-play goal in the loss.
The Maple Leafs have dropped both games of the trip so far, falling 5-2 at the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, while losing 7-4 at the Colorado Avalanche Saturday. The Leafs are still 5-2-1 in the past 8 games, and the Over is 6-2 in the 8-game stretch.
Utah was edged 4-3 in overtime on Friday by the Chicago Blackhawks, but it is still a respectable 4-1-1 in the past 6 games, and 7-3-1 in the previous 11 outings. The Over is 2-1-1 in the past 4 tries, while going 5-3-1 across the previous 9 outings.
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Maple Leafs at Utah Hockey Club odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:57 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Maple Leafs -120 (bet $120 to win $100) | Utah Hockey Club +100 (bet $100 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Maple Leafs -1.5 (+200) | Utah Hockey Club +1.5 (-250)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Maple Leafs at Utah Hockey projected goalies
Joseph Woll (21-12-0, 2.78 GAA, .905 SV%, 1 SO) vs. Karel Vejmelka (17-16-5, 2.48 GAA, .910 SV%, 1 SO)
Woll was bounced around last time out by the Golden Knights, allowing 3 goals on just 7 shots through 14:31 of the first period Wednesday in a loss. He has allowed 8 goals on 41 shots in 2 starts in March, with both appearances coming on the road.
Vejmelka, fresh off a contract extension signed last week, has managed a 1-1-1 record, 2.98 GAA and .904 SV% in 3 starts in March. He lost to the New Jersey Devils in his most recent home start March 1, but Vejmelka has won 4 of his past 5 at Delta Center.
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Maple Leafs at Utah Hockey Club picks and predictions
Prediction
Maple Leafs 4, Utah Hockey Club 3
Moneyline
The MAPLE LEAFS (-120) are worth a look as minor road favorites, even though Toronto has dropped the first 2 games on the trip.
Despite a pair of losses to Colorado and Vegas, the Leafs are still 8-3-1 across the past 12 outings.
Utah Hockey Club (+100) is 4-2-2 in the past 8 games at Delta Center, so this won’t be easy by any stretch. It might have been worth a roll of the dice to back Utah here, but an OT loss in Chicago makes it a risky play. Back the better team.
Puck line/Against the spread
The Utah Hockey Club +1.5 (-250) will cost you 2 1/2 times your potential return, if you cannot play it straight up.
There is just no reason to risk so much, especially on a puck line underdog. Utah is 1-3 in the past 4 games as an underdog on the puck line, too.
AVOID.
Over/Under
OVER 6 (-110) is the lean, but go with a half-unit play at best.
The Over is 2-1-1 in the past 4 games for the Utah Hockey Club, while going 5-3-1 across the previous 8 outings. Be careful, though, as the Under is 7-1 in the past 8 at home.
For the Leafs, the Over is 3-1 in the past 4 games, and 6-2 across the previous 8 outings. The Leafs have coughed up 20 goals in the past 4 contests.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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