Maple Leafs vs Oilers Prediction, NHL Odds & Picks (March 1)
NHL fans are in for a treat Wednesday, March 1 as the Toronto Maple Leafs are set to go head-to-head with the Edmonton Oilers. It’s the first of two Maple Leafs vs Oilers matchups over the next 11 days, making it interesting to see whether Toronto or Edmonton emerges the victor tonight.
The Maple Leafs have strung together three consecutive wins ahead of this matchup, most recently tallying a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Sunday. Auston Matthews scored twice on the night and Mitchell Marner added three assists while three others Toronto players had multi-point showings.
Meanwhile, the Oilers have had the opposite luck lately. Monday’s 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins saw Edmonton drop to 2-3-3 in its last eight games. Considering how the team has also lost three of its last four home games, time will tell if the Oilers can reverse their fortunes tonight.
Tonight’s Maple Leafs vs Oilers showdown also brings some interesting betting options to the table. Here’s a look at FanDuel Sportsbook’s latest odds for the game, as well as a prediction and the best bet to make, courtesy of Betting News.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Edmonton Oilers Matchup Information and Betting Odds
Matchup Information
- Matchup: Toronto Maple Leafs (37-15-8, 14-9-4 Away) vs. Edmonton Oilers (32-21-8, 14-12-5 Home)
- Venue & Location: Rogers Place (Edmonton, Alberta)
- Date: Wednesday, March 1, 2023
- Game Time: 8 p.m. Eastern Time
- Maple Leafs vs Oilers TV Info: ESPN+
Maple Leafs vs Oilers Odds
Game odds are via FanDuel as of Wednesday, March 1 at 9:08 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.
Spread
- Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 (+186)
- Edmonton Oilers +1.5 (-235)
Over/Under
- Over 6 Goals (-140)
- Under 6 Goals (+114)
Moneyline
- Toronto Maple Leafs -134
- Edmonton Oilers +112
Maple Leafs vs Oilers Betting Trends
- Toronto is 9-1 straight up in its last 10 road games against Edmonton.
- Edmonton is 5-10 straight up in its last 15 home games.
- The total has hit the over in eight of Toronto’s last 12 road games.
- The total has hit the over in six of Edmonton’s last eight games against the Eastern Conference.
- The total has hit the under in four of the last seven Toronto-Edmonton matchups.
Can Maple Leafs Continue Racking Up Wins?
The Maple Leafs have been living up to their potential as of late. Not only have they won their last three games in a row, but they’re also 5-1-0 in their last six games.
The offense has been showing up in droves in those contests. The Maple Leafs are scoring an average of 4.33 goals over their last six games, scoring five or more four times over that stretch.
William Nylander leads all Toronto players over that span with 11 points while Marner isn’t too far behind with 10 of his own. Nylander also shares the goal-scoring lead with John Tavares in that time, tallying four goals apiece.
That’s not even to mention that Ryan O’Reilly has fit in like a glove with his new team. It’s a small sample size, but he has five points in five games wearing a Maple Leafs jersey, as well as a 73.2% faceoff percentage.
It’s also going to be interesting to see whether any more of the Maple Leafs’ recent acquisitions will play tonight. General manager Kyle Dubas was busy making three trades on Tuesday, bringing in defensemen Erik Gustafsson and Luke Schenn while shipping away Pierre Engvall, Rasmus Sandin and a few draft picks.
Regardless of who plays, the Maple Leafs have a great chance to win. After all, they’ve won nine of their last 10 road games against the Oilers, outscoring Edmonton 18-2 in their last four trips to Rogers Place.
Winning their last two road games this season in a decisive manner, it’s clear that the Maple Leafs are in a great position to win tonight.
Oilers Aim to Avoid Third Straight Loss
As mentioned earlier, winning has been tough for the Oilers. What’s even more frustrating is that each of their last five losses has come by a one-goal margin, so it’s not even like they’re getting completely dominated.
If the Oilers are to overcome the surging Maple Leafs, their stars need to step up as well. That’s been no issue for Connor McDavid, who has 31 points in his last 15 games. He’s also on a seven-game point streak (18 points in those games) and has tallied exactly two goals in each of his last four outings.
Leon Draisaitl has 11 points in his last eight games, but he also has a minus-6 plus/minus rating in those contests. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has also been playing at a point-per-game pace in his last eight games (nine points), but his minus-4 rating has left a bit to be desired.
On top of needing offense to keep pace with Toronto, Edmonton also needs Stuart Skinner to make some key saves. The 24-year-old goaltender has room for improvement after recording a 3.32 goals-against average and .875 save percentage in his last five starts.
Skinners’ life will be made easier if defenseman Mattias Ekholm can suit up. The veteran blueliner was acquired from the Nashville Predators on Tuesday in a deal that saw Tyson Barrie, promising prospect Reid Schaefer and some draft picks sent the other way.
Nevertheless, the Oilers have also lost 10 of their last 15 games at Rogers Place, making it clear that they need a stronger effort from top to bottom.
Maple Leafs vs Oilers Prediction and Picks
Maple Leafs vs Oilers Prediction: Maple Leafs 5, Oilers 3
Maple Leafs vs Oilers Picks: Maple Leafs ML (Best Value: -134 at FanDuel) & Over 6 Goals (Best Value: -140 at FanDuel)
With how well the Maple Leafs are playing, I don’t see the Oilers winning this one. Toronto’s best players are making their presence felt and should take advantage of Edmonton’s shortcomings in goal.
Keeping the above in mind, I also recommend backing the over on the 6-goal total. Even though the last several Maple Leafs vs Oilers matchups have featured the under more often than not, Toronto has been scoring a lot of goals while Edmonton can’t stop much lately. With all of the star-power involved in this meeting as well, it’s hard not to side with the over.
