The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Toronto Maple Leafs battle Sunday in Game 1 of the best-of-five Qualifying Series round at 8 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.
Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs: Projected starting goalies
Joonas Korpisalo/Elvis Merzlikins vs. Frederik Andersen
Korpisalo posted a 19-12-5 record, 2.60 goals against average and .911 save percentage across 35 starts and two relief appearances en route to his first All-Star nod. He was rolling along as the replacement to Sergei Bobrovsky, who left via free agency for the Florida Panthers. However, Korpisalo was injured in late December, missing nearly two months due to a knee injury. Merzlikins quickly became a star, posting a 13-9-8 record, 2.35 GAA and .923 SV% across 31 starts and two relief stints. Coach John Tortorella hasn’t tipped his hand on the starting netminder, but either way, the Jackets will have a pretty good one in the blue ice.
The Leafs have no such quandaries in their crease, as Andersen posted a 29-13-7 record, 2.85 GAA and .909 SV% with three shutouts in 52 starts. This team will go only as far as Andersen can take it in the postseason, and to date, that hasn’t been far. He is winless in three playoff series as a member of the Leafs. Andersen went 1-0-1 with a 2.46 GAA and .925 SV%, stopping 62 of 67 shots, in two regular-season meetings against the Jackets this season.
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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 Saturday at 5:50 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Maple Leafs 4, Blue Jackets 2
Moneyline (ML)
The MAPLE LEAFS (-162) are heavy favorites on their home ice, although with no fans in the bubble, the advantage of being home is somewhat mitigated. Still, don’t think for one moment that playing in their own barn, dressing in their own room and being around their own amenities in their own town won’t play some sort of a factor … at least early on in these playoffs. The Jackets (+135) stunned the No. 1 seed Tampa Bay Lightning last season, sweeping them for Columbus’ first franchise playoff series win. Success will not be duplicated here, especially in Game 1.
New to sports betting? A winning $10 bet on the Maple Leafs to win returns a profit of $6.17, while a $10 wager on the Blue Jackets results in a profit of $13.50.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The MAPLE LEAFS (-1.5, +155) are worth a small-unit wager on the puck line, although confidence is not terribly high. It might take an empty-net goal to win the puck-line bet, as Columbus is a solid defensive club with two strong, young netminders capable of getting hot. However, the Leafs boast two No. 1 caliber scoring lines, and it will be too much for the Jackets to handle.
Over/Under (O/U)
The O/U 6 – with -110 odds on both sides – is likely to result in a PUSH. I am expecting a 3-2 game late, with an empty-net goal as the final tally. This won’t be a defensive battle, but it won’t be a high-scoring game either. It will be just right, and exactly on the total. AVOID.
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