The Lightning vs. Maple Leafs matchup will take place at 8:00 p.m. ET on Monday night. It’s the lone NHL game of the night and the puck will drop at 7:30 p.m. ET. Check out the team total that we love ahead of tonight’s contest at Scotiabank Arena.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
Tampa Bay Lightning (+120) at Toronto Maple Leafs (-140); o/u 6.5
7:30 p.m. ET, Monday, October 21, 2024
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
TV: NHL Network
Lightning vs. Maple Leafs: Public Bettors Backing Toronto
As of this writing, our NHL Public Betting Page shows that 62% of bets are on the Maple Leafs’ moneyline. That said, this page is updated frequently so make sure that you click on the link provided to get the most up-to-date public betting information.
Vasilevskiy has rough night in Ottawa
Andrei Vasilevskiy made 23 saves in a 5-4 loss to Ottawa on Saturday. It was a tight match, but special teams proved to be the difference. Ottawa went 2-for-5 on the power play, while Tampa Bay was 0-for-3 and allowed a shorthanded goal. The five goals allowed equaled the total that Vasilevskiy had let in over his first three outings. Tough night.
Matthews now has four points in last two games
Auston Matthews scored a goal in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Rangers. Matthews spun off Adam Fox behind the net, skated into slot and shot past Igor Shesterkin’s right pad. He almost got another a couple of minutes later, but the Rangers netminder stretched out and made a toe save. Overall, he had nine shots on goal. Matthews played like he had the puck on a string whenever he had it, but Shesterkin won the duel Saturday. The superstar pivot has four points (two goals, two assists) in his last two outings and 28 shots in five appearances.
Lightning vs. Maple Leafs Betting Trends:
Tampa Bay is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Toronto
Tampa Bay is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Toronto’s last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto’s last 5 games at home
Lightning vs. Maple Leafs Betting Prediction
Even though the over is juiced to -158, I love the Lightning over team total, which is only 2.5. The Lightning opened the season scoring four goals in a 4-1 win over the Hurricanes. Following their win in Carolina, they hosted the Canucks and beat them, 4-1. Then they hosted the Golden Knights and beat them, 4-3. As previously mentioned, they suffered their first loss of the season two nights ago in Ottawa, falling 5-4 to the Senators.
Notice the trend?
The Lightning have scored exactly four goals in every game. They could fall short of that number tonight and still cash the over.
Granted, I know why the total is only 2.5. The Maple Leafs held the Devils, Penguins and Kings to exactly two goals in each of their first three games of the season. That said, they surrendered four goals in a 4-1 loss to the Rangers two nights ago, so perhaps their puck prevention is weak. Either way, I love this play tonight given Tampa Bay’s consistency.
Lightning vs. Maple Leafs Prediction: Tampa Bay Lightning over 2.5 Goals (-158)