Winnipeg Jets at Toronto Maple Leafs odds, picks and predictions
The Winnipeg Jets (30-11-4) play the front end of a home-and-home with the Toronto Maple Leafs (23-14-8) on Wednesday. Puck drop at Scotiabank Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Jets vs. Maple Leafsodds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Jets suffered a 4-1 loss in Boston in the 2nd stop of the 3-game road trip. Winnipeg has scored 2 or fewer goals in 4 of the past 5 games, while cashing the Under at a 5-0-1 clip in the past 6 games. The total has gone low in 6 of the past 7 road contests, too.
The Maple Leafs picked up a 3-1 win in Seattle to wrap up a 4-game road trip with 2 wins and 2 losses. Toronto also split the Over-Under in the 4-game journey. Toronto returns home where it is just 1-5-0 in the past 6 games since Dec. 19.
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Jets at Maple Leafs odds
BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last update at 6:29 a.m. ET.
Jets at Maple Leafs projected goalies
Laurent Brossoit (7-3-1, 2.18 GAA, .923 SV%) vs. Ilya Samsonov (6-3-6, 3.69 GAA, .866 SV%, 1 SO)
Brossoit is confirmed to start Wednesday's game. He has won 4 straight starts, and he has allowed just 6 goals on 113 shots during the impressive win streak. He has conceded 3 or fewer goals in each of his past 10 starts since coughing up 4 goals in his initial start of the season Oct. 19 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Samsonov is confirmed to start for the home side. He allowed just a single goal on 17 shots in the 3-1 win in Seattle on Sunday, and he has allowed 4 goals on 40 shots in 2 January assignments, his best 2-game stretch since Dec. 9-11 when he allowed 4 goals on 47 shots while going 1-0-1 in the 2 outings.
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Jets at Maple Leafs picks and predictions
Prediction
Jets 4, Maple Leafs 3
The JETS (+105) are worth a roll of the dice as short 'dogs in this road contest, as Winnipeg has been red-hot lately. The Jets are an impressive 18-3-2 across the past 23 games, picking up 38 out of a possible 46 points.
The Maple Leafs (-130) simply cannot be trusted, as Toronto has won just twice in the past 7 games, while winning only a single time in the past 6 home outings, and that was against the lowly San Jose Sharks. Until the Leafs starts ticking off wins at home on the regular, keep fading Toronto.
The Jets +1.5 (-225) will cost you more than 2 times your potential return, and that's way too much risk for not enough reward if you're a little more on the conservative side and you require a bit of insurance.
If you like Winnipeg, just play it straight up. AVOID.
The OVER 6 (-110) is actually a bit of a risky play, as the Jets enter on a 5-0-1 run, while the total has gone low in each of Brossoit's past 3 starts, too.
However, the Over is 5-3 in the past 8 games for the Leafs, while also going 5-3 in the past 8 contests on home ice. The Leafs have allowed 27 goals in the past 7 outings, too, or 3.8 goals per game. With the way the Jets have been playing defensively, we might not have a high-scoring game, but we should see the total inch across the line for the Over based on Toronto's shaky defense and goaltending coupled with its high-octane offense.
