New York Islanders vs Toronto Maple Leafs Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24
Looking to win big? The Islanders and Maple Leafs face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Maple Leafs are hosting the game at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. This Eastern conference matchup has an over/under of 6 goals, and the Maple Leafs are favored by -1.5 goals vs. the Islanders.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS 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 21st.
WHY BET THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS:
- In spite of being 1.5 goal underdogs, we anticipate the Islanders winning this one 4-3.
- We like the Islanders on the moneyline (+150)
- The Islanders are also our pick on the spread at +1.5
Is a Win at Toronto Possible for the Islanders?
The Islanders dropped to 12-14-7 with a 5-2 loss to the Rangers. As underdogs on the puck line, New York failed to cover, and the total of 7 goals went over the pre-game line of 6.
Trailing 2-0, Casey Cizikas got the Islanders on the board at 15:22 in the second period. Brock Nelson added another goal for New York, cutting the deficit to 3-2 before the Rangers pulled away.
Casey Cizikas netted his first goal of the season, while Brock Nelson added his fifth in the Islanders’ 5-2 loss to the Rangers. Pierre Engvall picked up his first assist, with Simon Holmstrom, Kyle Palmieri, and Anders Lee also contributing assists.
The Islanders fired 37 shots on goal but were held scoreless in the first period. They found the net twice in the second period, with Cizikas’ goal coming 4:38 into the period and Nelson scoring with just 8 seconds left.
The Islanders’ defense gave up the first goal just 3:44 into the game and allowed two more in the second period after they had cut the Rangers’ lead to 2-1. The Islanders made it 3-2 late in the second, but their defense gave up two more goals in the third, including an empty-netter. Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves with an 89.7% save percentage.
Will the Maple Leafs Make it Happen at Home?
Toronto’s latest game ended in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Wild, bringing their record to 21-10-2. The Maple Leafs were underdogs on the puck line and the total was set at 6 goals, but the teams combined for only 3.
After the Wild scored first, William Nylander tied it up for Toronto with just 52 seconds left in the first period. The game remained scoreless until Minnesota netted the winner 2:14 into overtime.
Toronto’s offense was held to just one goal in their 2-1 overtime loss to Minnesota. William Nylander found the net for the 9th time this season, scoring on a power play at 19:08 in the first period. The Maple Leafs registered 28 shots on goal and had 10 giveaways.
Mitchell Marner picked up his 12th assist, while Auston Matthews added his 6th. After Nylander’s first-period goal, Toronto was unable to score again in regulation or overtime.
Anthony Stolarz made 31 saves with a 93.9% save percentage, but the Maple Leafs’ defense gave up the first goal at 9:41 in the 1st period and the game-winner at 2:14 in overtime. Toronto’s defense also recorded 2 takeaways and 30 hits.