Toronto Maple Leafs vs New York Islanders Betting Pick & Prediction 1/2/25

Looking to win big? The Maple Leafs and Islanders face off at 7:30 ET on ESPN+. The Islanders are hosting the game at UBS Arena in Elmont, NY. In this Eastern matchup, the Maple Leafs are favored by -1.5 goals against the Islanders. The over/under for the game is 6 goals.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS VS NEW YORK ISLANDERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: New York Islanders +1.5

This game will be played at UBS Arena at 7:30 ET on Thursday, January 2nd.

WHY BET THE NEW YORK ISLANDERS:

• Even though they are 1.5 goal underdogs, we see the Islanders winning this game by a score of 4-3.
• We like the Islanders on the moneyline (-103)
• The Islanders are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Will the Toronto Defense Show Up on the Road?

Toronto fell to 23-13-2 after a 2-1 overtime loss to the Wild. The Maple Leafs trailed early, giving up a goal at 9:41 in the first period, but William Nylander tied it with a power-play goal at 19:08. The game stayed even until the Wild scored at 2:14 in overtime.

The total for the game was set at 6 goals, but the teams combined for just 3. Toronto, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover. Their record now stands at 23-13-2.

William Nylander netted his 9th goal of the season, scoring on a power play at 19:08 in the first period. Auston Matthews picked up his 6th assist, while Mitchell Marner added his 12th assist on the play.

Toronto fired 28 shots on goal but came up empty after Nylander’s early tally. The Maple Leafs had 10 giveaways in the game.

Defensively, the Maple Leafs gave up the first goal at 9:41 in the first period and the game-winner at 2:14 into overtime. Anthony Stolarz made 31 saves with a 93.9% save percentage, while the defense added 2 takeaways and 30 hits.

Will New York Win at Home?

The Islanders fell to 14-17-7 with a 5-2 loss to the Rangers. The Islanders were underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 7 goals went over the pre-game line of 6.

New York found themselves down 2-0 before Casey Cizikas scored at 15:22 in the second period. The Islanders added another goal in the second, but the Rangers pulled away with two more goals in the third period.

The Islanders fired 37 shots on goal but only found the net twice in their 5-2 loss to the Rangers. Casey Cizikas scored his first goal of the season, while Brock Nelson added his fifth, with Nelson’s goal coming just 8 seconds before the end of the second period.

New York registered 23 giveaways and failed to capitalize on any power play opportunities. Pierre Engvall and Simon Holmstrom picked up assists on Cizikas’ goal, with Holmstrom now having 4 assists this season. Kyle Palmieri and Anders Lee were credited with assists on Nelson’s goal.

Defensively, the Islanders will look to bounce back after giving up 5 goals to the Rangers. Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves with a save percentage of 89.7%. New York’s defense also recorded 12 takeaways and 17 hits. The Islanders tied the game at 3-2 late in the second period, but they allowed two goals in the 3rd, including an empty netter.