Canucks: Betting odds and prediction vs. Maple Leafs (March 4)

The Vancouver Canucks are going into one of the toughest remaining tasks on their schedule when they ahead to Scotiabank Arena to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. After a thrilling 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night, the Canucks are looking to continue their playoff push with another two points against Toronto.

Vancouver still remains 6th place in the Pacific Division with a record of 27-23-6, but their 7-3-0 record in their last ten outings gives them hope in their push to the postseason. At this moment the Canucks sit four points outside of the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Toronto, currently 35-15-4, sit third place in the top-heavy Atlantic Division. The Leafs have been inconsistent on both ends of the rink recently, playing .500 hockey with a 5-4-1 record in their last ten.

Led by head coach Sheldon Keefe, Toronto boasts talents including the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Morgan Rielly. The Leafs 29.0% power play efficiency is far and away the best man advantage unit in the NHL, whilst their penalty kill ranks sixth in the league at 84.2%.

These two teams met recently on February 12th in Vancouver, with the Canucks winning an exciting game by a score of 3-2.

Toronto’s goaltending situation has been a mess recently with both Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek struggling to find form. Which one gets the start on Saturday remains up in the air. Vancouver should have Thatcher Demko between the pipes as Jaroslav Halak is becoming a non-option following his recent performances in net.

The odds for this game are courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook, the official betting partner of FanSided.

Betting Odds

Moneyline

Canucks +195

Maple Leafs -245

Goal Total

Over 6.5 goals at -110

Under 6.5 goals at -110

Puckline

Canucks +1.5 at -125

Maple Leafs -1.5 at +105

Prediction

Given the good run Vancouver is on, compared with the inconsistent form Toronto has displayed recently, I expect this game to be similar to the one in Rogers Arena just a few weeks ago.  Demko should be a busy man on Saturday, as the Leafs should come out with more juice after an embarrassing defeat to Buffalo on Wednesday. Despite their notorious postseason collapses, Toronto is always one of the better regular season teams across the NHL. Beating them twice in a short manner of time would be quite impressive, but is no easy task. Both teams are embroiled in battles for playoff spots and positioning heading into the stretch run, so expect a competitive game for all 60 minutes.

The Canucks may not have enough to pull out another victory over the Leafs, but they should keep it close and cover the puckline.

Pick: Canucks +1.5 at -125

What are your thoughts on this upcoming game between the Canucks and Maple Leafs? What bets will you be placing on the game? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comment section!