Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens Betting Pick & Prediction 10/9/24
Looking to win big? The Maple Leafs and Canadiens face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Canadiens are hosting the game at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC. In this division matchup, the Maple Leafs are favored by -1.5 against the Canadiens. The over/under for the game is 6.5 goals.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS VS MONTREAL CANADIENS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Montreal Canadiens +1.5
This game will be played at Bell Centre at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, October 9th.
WHY BET THE MONTREAL CANADIENS:
- Even though they are 1.5 goal underdogs, we see the Canadiens winning this game by a score of 4-3.
- We like the Canadiens on the moneyline (+150)
- The Canadiens are also our pick on the spread at +1.5
Will the Maple Leafs Come Through as Road Favorites?
Toronto finished last season 3rd in the Atlantic Division and posted an overall record of 46-26-10. Of those 46 wins, 27 came by multiple goals, while 19 were one-goal victories. Against the puck line, they struggled, going 27-55. In Eastern Conference play, the Maple Leafs went 22-28, placing them 5th.
On the road, Toronto went 24-11-6, while at home, they were 22-15-4. As favorites, they posted a 39-18-8 record, but struggled against the puck line, going 21-44. As underdogs, they went 8-8-2 straight-up and 6-11 against the puck line. Their over/under record was 45-35-2, with their games averaging 6.9 goals per game.
Last season, the Maple Leafs were one of the NHL’s top offensive teams, finishing 2nd in scoring with an average of 3.6 goals per game. They also ranked 5th in assists. Toronto was 7th in shots on goal, averaging 32.6 per game.
Even while shorthanded, the Leafs were effective, ranking 8th in shorthanded goals. Their power play was also strong, finishing 9th in the league. Toronto did a good job avoiding giveaways, ranking 29th in the NHL.
Last season, the Maple Leafs ranked 18th in the NHL for goals allowed, giving up an average of three goals per game. They were 10th in takeaways and allowed 29.7 shots on goal per game, which was also 18th in the league. Toronto’s goaltenders recorded five shutouts, placing them 4th in the NHL.
In terms of defensive hits, Toronto ranked 1st in the NHL last season. They also finished 10th in takeaways and allowed 29.7 shots on goal per game, which was 18th in the league. The Maple Leafs’ goaltenders recorded five shutouts, placing them 4th in the NHL.
Can the Canadiens Hold Strong at Home?
Toronto finished last season with a 30-36-16 record, placing them 15th in the Eastern Conference with a 16-34 record in those games. In Atlantic Division matchups, they went 5-21, ranking 8th. At home, the Maple Leafs were 16-20-5, while on the road, they finished 14-16-11.
Against the puck line, Toronto struggled, going 13-69. Of their 30 wins, 17 were by one goal and 13 by multiple goals. Their over/under record was 42-38-2, with an average total line of 6.3 goals per game.
Heading into their season opener against Toronto, the Canadiens are coming off a season where they ranked 22nd in scoring, averaging 2.8 goals per game. They finished 25th in assists. One bright spot was their shorthanded goals, where they ranked 7th in the NHL.
Montreal struggled with giveaways, ranking 28th in the league, and they were also 28th in shots on goal, averaging 27.6 per game. Their power play goals ranked 18th in the NHL.
The Canadiens finished 24th in the NHL for goals allowed last season, giving up 3.2 goals per game on average. They were 27th in takeaways but managed to record two shutouts, which ranked 7th in the league. Montreal’s opponents averaged 32.9 shots on goal per game, placing them 24th in the NHL.