The Toronto Maple Leafs (9-6-4) and New York Islanders (12-3-1) tangle at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island Wednesday night at 7 p.m. ET, and the Isles fans will be ready for Toronto captain John Tavares. We analyze the Maple Leafs-Islanders sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.
Maple Leafs at Islanders: Projected starting goalies
Frederik Andersen vs. Semyon Varlamov
Andersen heads into Wednesday’s battle with a 9-2-2 record, 2.62 goals against average and .916 save percentage. He faced the Islanders just once last season, a 2-1 victory as the ‘Under’ easily connected.
Varlamov enters play with a 5-2-1 record, 2.37 GAA and .924 save percentage. He is coming off a 4-3 overtime loss last time out against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a setback coming off of a five-start winning streak. He has allowed three or fewer goals in five of the past six outings.
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Maple Leafs at Islanders: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 7:45 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Islanders 5, Maple Leafs 3
Moneyline (ML)
The ISLANDERS (-134) dominated last season’s first meeting against former star Tavares, as the Long Island faithful treated their former star rudely and didn’t let up for the entire game. When the dust settled, the Maple Leafs (+110) were on the short end of a 6-1 score. They lost the second meeting, too, although they salvaged the season series and avoided the broom in the final battle.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The ISLANDERS (-1.5, +200) are worth a roll of the dice in this one, as you can double up your money ($20 profit on a $10 bet) if they win by two or more goals. While Andersen is 3-0-0 with a 1.95 GAA and .938 save percentage in three road games, he hasn’t faced a hostile environment and tough offense like he’ll face Wednesday.
Over/Under (O/U)
The OVER 5.5 (-139) is a slam-dunk play, as this game should go well Over. The offenses for both teams have been on point lately, and the Isles have picked up points in 12 straight games. While their No. 1 in goals allowed at just 2.2 per game, they will be tested early and often by the young guns of the Leafs. Toronto is averaging 3.3 goals per game, and it’s allowing 3.2 goals per outing. Expect plenty of offense.
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