Los Angeles Kings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs prediction: NHL odds, bets
The Toronto Maple Leafs may not have played their best hockey yet, but you need to credit the Buds for collecting wins while they click into gear.
The Leafs boast a 5-2-1 record and are coming off an impressive 3-1-1 road trip, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to see them sitting as strong -148 favorites against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.
Do these odds flatter the Leafs against a team that many had pegged as a potential contender in the Western Conference?
Kings vs. Maple Leafs prediction
The Maple Leafs are an offensive powerhouse, but it was their defensive form that made them an elite team in the past few regular seasons.
Toronto had plenty of strong two-way forwards and plenty of depth on its blueline in years past, but it does seem likely that the Buds are going to be a little leakier in 2023-24.
The Maple Leafs put together a couple of strong defensive performances on their most recent road trip, but they were not very sturdy in their first half-dozen contests and needed strong goaltending from Joseph Woll to bail them out.
Woll has been one of the stories of the season so far with his .961 save percentage and +7.36 Goals Saved Above Expected, but those numbers will come back down to earth eventually and that means Toronto will need to be a more consistent defensive outfit to counterbalance Woll’s regression.
Los Angeles’ goaltending situation is much more precarious than Toronto’s right now, but the Kings are so deep up front that they stand a good chance of being able to contain the Leafs top-six and give them plenty to think about going the other way.
The Kings are playing high-event hockey to start the season, but their underlying metrics suggest they should trend in the right direction over time.
Los Angeles ranks third in expected goals rate and second in high-danger chance percentage, so its driving play at an elite level through the beginning stages of the campaign.
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The Kings are always worth a look at this kind of price and they make a great bet Tuesday night with Toronto likely to hit some turbulence when Woll comes back to earth.
The bet: Los Angeles Kings +125
