The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a rough go of it lately. The blue and white have dropped three straight games and welcome the surging San Jose Sharks to the Air Canada Centre tonight. The Sharks have been on a nice run, winning four of their last five games, and look to continue their climb in the Western Conference standings.
- The total has gone UNDER in six of the Maple Leafs’ last eight games at home.
- The Leafs are 5-2 SU in their last seven games at home vs teams with winning records.
- The Sharks are 2-5 SU in their last seven games after winning as an underdog.
The Leafs just haven’t looked the same since star center Auston Matthews went down with an injury in December. Since his initial departure on December 10, the Leafs are 3-7 SU and ATS and looked sluggish in their loss at home on Tuesday vs the Lightning. Bettors will also be interested to know that Toronto is an eye-popping 0-10 SU and 2-8 ATS in the last 10 games vs the Sharks.
On the flip side, the Sharks may be hitting their stride as they kicked off their 2018 with a 4-1 win vs Montreal. San Jose is in the midst of a five-game road trip but hasn’t been a reliable road team for bettors this season at 9-8 SU and ATS and, more recently, 2-5 SU in its last seven away games. Where the Sharks have been reliable is on the defensive end as they are a top-five defensive team in the NHL, allowing only 2.49 goals per game this season.
For totals bettors, the UNDER may be the right play in this contest. The total opened at 6 and the UNDER has hit in three straight in this matchup. When you factor in the Sharks’ defensive prowess and that the UNDER has hit in 11 of their 17 road games, it’s hard to ignore the writing on the wall.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Sportsbooks such as Sportsbook had the Toronto Maple Leafs as -135 moneyline favorites in this particular NHL betting matchup earlier. The OVER/UNDER total, meanwhile, was set early at 6 before betting started to move the line at Sportsbook.
Prediction-scoring formulas run on this game pick a potential 3.6-2.2 result in favor of the Sharks. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NHL matchups here.
San Jose Sharks vs Toronto Maple Leafs Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The San Jose Sharks will look to vanquish their hosts on Thursday, as they are 21-12-4 this season, while the Maple Leafs are 23-16-2. San Jose is 12-24-1 against the total, while Toronto is 20-17-4 versus the number. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Toronto vs San Jose injuries news.
According to new NHL Power Rankings here at OddsShark, it's the No. 8-ranked Maple Leafs and the No. 7-rated Sharks in this matchup.
Statistical Matchup
The game also pits Toronto's No. 5-ranked offense, averaging 3.29 goals per game, against a Sharks defense that ranks No. 5 at 2.51 goals allowed. The Maple Leafs power play is averaging 21.55% while the Sharks defense kills off 85.37% of their penalties.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
In their last action, San Jose was a 4-1 Sportsbook on the road against the Canadiens. Bettors on San Jose at +104 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (5) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well.
The Maple Leafs were a 2-0 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Lightning. That made Sportsbooks of bettors who got Tampa Bay at -125 on the moneyline, while the total score (2) was good news for UNDER bettors.
- San Jose is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
- San Jose is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 15 of San Jose's last 23 games
- San Jose is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
- Toronto is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games
- Toronto is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games
- Toronto is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Next Betting Matchups
San Jose at Ottawa, Friday, January 5
Toronto home to Vancouver, Saturday, January 6
