Maple Leafs vs Penguins NHL Betting Odds and Analysis

Heading into the season, there was a lot of talk about which teams would have the worst NHL betting odds. There were very few hickey fans who mentioned the Pittsburgh Penguins in that group, but they are sliding ever closer to the bottom of the pack. They will try and stop the bleeding on Wednesday, December 30 when they welcome in the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Consol Energy Center. Puck drop is set for 7 PM EST on TSN.

It’s great to see Fleury back on the ice! pic.twitter.com/GxHJKMvPdn
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 29, 2015

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Pittsburgh Penguins NHL Betting Odds

These are a pair of teams that are not very good, and while you would think that the Penguins would have the home ice edge, you have to look at their recent body of work before taking on that bet. This looks like a game that will not have a lot of goals, which might make the UNDER a good possibility. Toronto is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games on the road The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Toronto’s last 20 games on the road Toronto is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto’s last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh Toronto is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh Pittsburgh is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 6 games Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 6 games when playing Toronto

The Maple Leafs have performed better than expected.

Why bet on the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs (13-14-7) served a notice of intent when they were able to lure coach Mike Babcock away from the Detroit Red Wings. It was a major coup, but one that was always going to take time to pay dividends give the talent level on this squad. The Leafs are better than expected, and their 5-3-2 record in the past 10 games shows that they are starting to get some rewards for their hard work. They have tightened up defensively, and 6 of their last 10 games have seen the goal total be 5 or fewer. The Leafs are managing just 2.5 goals per game this season, and are giving up an average of 2.8. They come into this one with a road record of 7-9-2.

Why bet on the Pittsburgh Penguins

It’s tough to put your finger on what exactly is going on in Pittsburgh (17-15-3), but it’s fair to say that a stunning lack of offense is certainly a major part of the problem. There are far too many offensive threats on this team for them to be struggling as badly as they are, and you have to wonder if this thing is going to get blown up when the trade deadline comes around. The Penguins are near the bottom of the standings with just 2.2 goals per game, and it is only their top 10 defense giving up just 2.4 goals per game that has kept them somewhat alive. They are just 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, and are sinking fast.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

It’s hard to believe that the Penguins are just 4 points up on the Leafs right now, and that it could be down to 2 points if the Leafs can complete the double over the New York Islanders. I never imagined that I would be taking Toronto on the road against Pittsburgh, but that is exactly what I am doing. Toronto Maple Leafs 3 Pittsburgh Penguins 1