The Toronto Maple Leafs (18-4-2) travel to meet the Vancouver Canucks (9-15-2) Thursday for a 10 p.m. ET puck drop at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Below, we analyze the Maple Leafs-Canucks odds and lines, with NHL picks and predictions.
Maple Leafs at Canucks: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:50 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Maple Leafs -160 (bet $160 to win $100) | Canucks +135 (bet $100 to win $135)
- Against the spread/ATS: Maple Leafs -1.5 (+155) | Canucks +1.5 (-190)
- Over/Under: 6.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Maple Leafs at Canucks: Projected starting goalies
Frederik Andersen (12-3-2, 2.59 GAA, .909 SV%) vs. Thatcher Demko (5-9-1, 3.06 GAA, .907 SV%)
Andersen returned Wednesday against the Edmonton Oilers after dealing with a lower-body injury which cost him about 10 days. He didn’t skip a beat, allowing one goal on 27 shots to win his third consecutive start. The last time he faced the Canucks was in a three-game set in Toronto Feb. 4-8, and he won every one of those outings, while just 5 total goals with .937 SV%.
Demko was on the short end of the Feb. 4 loss to the Leafs, coughing up seven goals on 37 shots in Toronto. Veteran C Jason Spezza had a hat trick in that one, and C Auston Matthews had two goals.
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Maple Leafs at Canucks: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Maple Leafs 5, Canucks 2
Money line (ML)
The MAPLE LEAFS (-160) have been on fire lately, embarrassing the Oilers in a three-game set in Edmonton by a combined margin of 13-1 in the three games. They also swept the previous three-game set against the Canucks in Toronto.
Roll with the Leafs until they cool off.
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Against the spread (ATS)
The MAPLE LEAFS -1.5 (+155) are certainly worth a look at plus-money on the puck line.
They handled the Canucks by a combined score of 15-5 in the previous three meetings. If Matthews or Andersen were still sidelined, it might be a little trickier, but Toronto is back at full health and that’s scary for the rest of the North Division.
Over/Under (O/U)
There aren’t many things I dislike more than an OVER 6.5 (-115) total. It’s so high, even in today’s NHL. Perhaps I only dislike the delay of game penalty more, or instant replay on offsides. Or the decrease in fighting, but anyway …
In this particular instance, the way Toronto has been ticking off goals, and the way Demko has let them in (besides his last start), the Over is a good play. This should be a high-energy, high-scoring game.
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