Toronto Maple Leafs vs Calgary Flames Betting Pick & Prediction 1/18/24
Planning on watching today’s Maple Leafs and Flames game? Catch the action at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB, as the Flames hosts this showdown at 9:00 ET on ESPN+. The Maple Leafs come into this non-conference matchup as the betting favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 6.5 goals.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS VS CALGARY FLAMES BETTING PICK
The Pick: Calgary Flames +1.5
This game will be played at Scotiabank Saddledome at 9:00 ET on Thursday, January 18th.
WHY BET THE CALGARY FLAMES:
- Even though they are considered 1.5-goal underdogs, our projection points to a 4-3 win for the Flames.
- We like the Flames on the moneyline (+105)
- The Flames are also our pick on the spread at +1.5
Is It the Maple Leafs Game to Lose on the Road?
On the season, the Maple Leafs have gone 21-13-8, putting them in 4th place in the Atlantic Division and 7th in the Eastern Conference. Over their last ten games, Toronto has gone just 4-6, and they come into this game on a three-game losing streak. On the road, the Maple Leafs have gone 11-4-6, and they have been favored in 35 of their 42 games this season.
Against other teams in the Eastern Conference, Toronto has gone 10-15 on the season, and they have gone 6-8 against other teams in the Atlantic Division. As the favorite, the Maple Leafs have gone 18-10-7 on the year, but they have lost their last two games in which they were favored.
On the season, the Maple Leafs have a puck line record of 13-29 and have gone 4-6 against the puck line in their last ten games. Toronto has dropped their last four games vs. the puck line and has an average scoring margin of +.3 goals per game.
So far, the Maple Leafs have been favored in 35 games and have gone 8-27 against the puck line as the favorite. Toronto has gone 11-10 vs. the puck line in games decided by more than one goal.
This season, Toronto’s games have an average of 6.9 goals per game. The average over/under number for the season is 6.5. The Maple Leafs come in with an over/under performance of 22-19-1.
In their last three games away from home, the Maple Leafs have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 3 goals per game in these contests.
For their offensive performance, the Maple Leafs come in averaging 3.5 goals per game this season, which is 6th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 7th in the league. Looking at how the Maple Leafs’ offense is performing during power plays, they are 13th in power play goals and 14th in shorthanded goals.
Toronto will be looking for a good game from Auston Matthews who leads the team in scoring with 34 goals, ranking 1st in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 16 assists so far.
Defensively, the Flames come into the season ranked 15th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 29.7 shots per game against Calgary. For the season, they are ranked 27th in shutouts, coming in with 1 shutouts.
Goalie Martin Jones gets the start and has made 13 starts this season. His record at this point is 8-5, and his save percentage is 0.519%.
Does Calgary Have What it Takes to Win as Home Underdogs?
At 21-18-5, the Flames are 5th in the Pacific Division and 9th in the Western Conference. They have won four straight games and are 11-7-1 at home this season. In the conference, Calgary is 14-13 and has been the underdog in 23 of their 44 games.
Over their last ten games, the Flames are 7-3, and they have won three straight games when favored. At home, Calgary has won three straight games and has a record of 11-7-1 this season.
Calgary enters the game with an overall puck line record of 23-21 and a road puck line record of 13-12. So far this season, the Flames have 13 wins by multiple goals and have lost by multiple goals 12 times.
As the underdog, Calgary has a puck line record of 16-7, including a current streak of three straight games covering the puck line. In their last ten home games, the Flames have a puck line record of 4-6.
On average, Calgary’s games have finished with 6.3 goals per game. The season’s average over/under line stands at 6.2. In total, the Flames come in with an over/under record of 24-19-1.
Across their three previous road games, Toronto has an puck line mark of 1-2. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-2 while averaging 3 goals per game.
On the offensive side, the Flames are scoring an 3.2 goals per game this season, ranking 13th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 8th in the league. In terms of the Flames’ offense during power plays, they are 26th in power play goals and 1st in shorthanded goals.
The leading scorer for Calgary’s offense is Blake Coleman. Coming into the game he has 20 goals, ranking 21st in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 18 assists so far.
Defensively, the Flames are currently 15th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.7 shots per game against Calgary. They also are 27th in shutouts, coming in with 1 shutouts.
Heading into this matchup vs. Toronto, goalie Dan Vladar has started 14 games in this season. His current record is 7-5, and his save percentage stands at 0.466%.