Maple Leafs vs. Lightning Pick
Are the Toronto Maple Leafs and the host Tampa Bay Lightning going to fail to reach the sky-high total set for tonight’s game? The puck drops at 7:30PM ET.
61 Toronto Maple Leafs at 62 Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:30PM ET
CURRENT ODDS
According to oddsmakers at YouWager, the Lightning are a -175 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Maple Leafs are a +155 underdog, while the total is set at 6.5 goals.
Bet NHL Action For Tuesday, March 20, 2018
LINE MOVEMENT
Tampa Bay opened as the -175 favorite it is at now, while the total has stayed put at 6.5 goals. The Lightning are anywhere from a -170 to a -180 favorite at various books, while Toronto can be bet from +150 to +160. The total is at 6.5 goals everywhere.
PUBLIC BETTING
As of Tuesday afternoon, 58 percent of public bets have sided with the Lightning. Online wager info also states that 57 percent of bets are being placed on the under.
INJURY TO WATCH
Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen (upper body) is probable tonight. Center Auston Matthews (shoulder) and defenseman Nikita Zaitsev (flu) are both out. Defenseman Leo Komarov (lower body) is out indefinitely. For the Lightning, left winger Ondrej Palat (lower body) is out until late March.
BETTING STRATEGY
The two squads have met three times since the new year hit and the total has gone over twice, both teams hitting seven goals. Prior to that, the under hit four consecutive meetings. Toronto is 35-32 on overs this season, while Tampa Bay is 45-26 on overs. The Maple Leafs enter on a four-game winning streak and have scored at least four goals in all four contests. Tampa Bay ended a two-game losing skid with a 3-1 home win over the Oilers last game. While these two teams are capable of an offensive shootout, the Lightning have a very strong defense as well and are at home. A total of 6.5 is very rare in the NHL and I’ll say at least one of these squads, likely the Maple Leafs with Matthews still out, has a poor offensive showing to keep it under.
NHL DAILY PREDICTION: MAPLE LEAFS/LIGHTNING UNDER 6.5