Pittsburgh Penguins vs Toronto Maple Leafs Betting Pick & Prediction 12/16/23

Planning on watching today’s Penguins and Maple Leafs game? Catch the action at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON, as the Maple Leafs hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on SN PT. The over/under goal line for this matchup is currently at 6.5 goals, and the Maple Leafs are favored to win at home against the Penguins.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS VS TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5

This game will be played at Scotiabank Arena at 7:00 ET on Saturday, December 16th.

WHY BET THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS:

• Even though they are 1.5 goal underdogs, we see the Penguins winning this game by a score of 4-3.
• We like the Penguins on the moneyline (+122)
• The Penguins are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Will the Penguins Make it Happen on the Road?

As they head into their game vs. the Maple Leafs, the Penguins have a 13-12-3 record thus far. While playing at home, their record stands at 6-6-1, and they have 7-6-2 mark on the road. At the moment, they hold the 7th spot in the Eastern Metropolitan division and are ranked 12th in the Eastern conference.

Pittsburgh is 12-16 against the puck line this season. On the road, their puck line record sits at 6-9 compared to 6-7 at home. On average, Pittsburgh’s games have finished with 5.6 goals per game. The season’s average over/under line stands at 6.5. In total, the Penguins come in with an over/under record of 9-17-2.

When looking at their past three road matchups, Pittsburgh has an puck line record of 0-3 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.

In terms of their offensive performance, the Penguins are averaging 2.9 goals per game this season, putting them in the 25th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 11th in the league. So far this year, the Penguins are 7-6 in games they have had more shots on goal than their opponent. They are 6-6 in games with fewer shots on goal.

Pittsburgh will be looking for a good game from Sidney Crosby who leads the team in scoring with 17 goals, ranking 6th in the NHL. Crosby also comes into the game with 14 assists.

Defensively, the Maple Leafs are currently 18th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 32.1 shots per game against Toronto. They also are 21st in shutouts, coming in with 1 shutouts.

Heading into this matchup vs. Toronto, goalie Tristan Jarry has started 21 games in this season. His current record is 9-10, and his save percentage stands at 0.9%.

Will the Maple Leafs Come Through as Home Favorites?

In their 27 games, the Maple Leafs have a 15-7-6 record this season. While playing at their home arena, they have a 8-5-2 record, and their record on the road is 7-2-4. At the moment, they hold the 2nd spot in the Eastern Atlantic division and are ranked 3rd in the Eastern conference.

In terms of the puck line, Toronto are 7-20. When playing on the road against the puck line, they are 3-10, while their overall home performance is 4-10. This season, Toronto’s games are averaging 7 goals per game. Their average over/under line is 6.5. The Maple Leafs currently have an over/under record of 15-11-1.

When looking at their past three home matchups, Toronto has an puck line record of 1-2 while averaging 4 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.

In terms of their offensive performance, the Maple Leafs are averaging 3.5 goals per game this season, putting them in the 9th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 14th in the league. Toronto’s offense comes into the game ranked 16th in power play goals. And in terms of shorthanded goals, they are 19th in the NHL.

Toronto’s current leading scorer is Auston Matthews. This season, he has 23 goals, which puts him 1st in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, Matthews has 12 assists this season.

Defensively, the Maple Leafs come into the season ranked 18th in goals allowed. Opponents are averging 32.1 shots per game against Toronto. For the season, they are ranked 21st in shutouts, coming in with 1 shutouts.

Goalie Martin Jones gets the start and has made one start this season. His record at this point is 2-0, and his save percentage is 0.167%.