The Toronto Maple Leafs are surprisingly 4-1 in their past five games against the Detroit Red Wings as those new division rivals meet for the first time this year Saturday.
The Maple Leafs and Red Wings last met back in January 2012, with Toronto pulling out a 4-3 home win as a +140 underdog on the NHL betting lines at the sportsbooks.
The OVER/UNDER is 6-3-1 in the past 10 games between the two teams since 2002.
Toronto will face the 16-12-9 Red Wings. In totals betting, the Maple Leafs are 17-19-1 favoring the UNDER so far this season while the Red Wings are 16-19-2 favoring the OVER.
View Detroit Red Wings vs Toronto Maple Leafs Odds and Stats.
Sportsbooks such as Sportsbook had the Maple Leafs as -147 Favorite earlier today. The over under opened at 5.5 at Sportsbook for bettors hoping to turn a profit on totals.
The NHL Power Rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Maple Leafs rated this week at No. 21 and the Red Wings sitting at No. 15.
Detroit won its last outing, a 3-2 result against the Flames on December 19. Bettors who backed the Red Wings at -140 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (5) sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.
Toronto won its last outing, a 2-1 result against the Coyotes on December 19. Bettors who backed the Maple Leafs at +100 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (3) sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits Toronto's No. 15-ranked offense, averaging 2.73 goals per game, against a Red Wings defense that ranks No. 13 at 2.73 goals allowed. The Maple Leafs power play is averaging 23.08% while the Red Wings defense kills off 84.78% of their penalties.
A few Red Wings at Maple Leafs trends to consider:
Detroit is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Detroit's last 8 games
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games at home
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Next up:
Detroit home to New York, Monday, December 23rd
Toronto at New York, Monday, December 23rd
