Following back-to-back wins on home ice, the Toronto Maple Leafs head across the eastern border to face the Montréal Canadiens on Saturday, January 21, for a 7 pm ET puck drop.
The Buds have been flying high in the NHL, going 28-11-7, while the Habs have been decimated by injuries and currently sit 22 points and 12 places behind their fellow Canadian hockey club in the Eastern Conference.
So, it won’t come as a surprise that the Maple Leafs are the -250 favourites to win this game at Centre Bell. In this preview of the Toronto vs Montréal game, you’ll find our predictions and picks in the betting markets.
Maple Leafs vs Canadiens Best Odds (Jan. 21)
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Money Line: TOR -250, MTL +200
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Puck Line: TOR (-1.5) +145, MTL (+1.5) -175
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Total Goals: Over 5.5 -222, Under 5.5 +180
Keep scrolling to see our predictions and picks for the game between the Buds and the Habs.
Which Team Will Win Maple Leafs vs Canadiens?
The Toronto Maple Leafs look set to win this game, with their -250 odds on the money line demonstrating as such.
Montréal did manage to throw a stick in the spokes of the Buds in the season opener, winning 4-3 at Centre Bell thanks to a last-minute goal from Josh Anderson.
Since then, the Maple Leafs have pushed on up the standings, stringing together several strong winning streaks, while the Canadiens have only been able to combine wins on five occasions.
Only one of those winning streaks for the Habs lasted more than two games, which ran for three games in early November.
Coming into this game, the Buds are riding a two-game winning streak following a hard-fought overtime win against Florida and an opportunistic triumph over the Winnipeg Jets to the tune of 4-1.
Auston Matthews has hit a particularly rich vein of form, scoring at least one goal in each of the last four games, while Illya Samsonov was superb in relief during the Panthers game and as a starter against the Jets, stopping 37 shots.
The injury troubles of the Habs don’t seem to let up, with Jake Allen, Jonathan Drouin, Joel Armia, Jake Evans, Juraj Slafkovský, Sean Monahan, Brendan Gallagher, Kaiden Guhle, and Paul Byron all still missing time or on the injured-reserve.
One bright spot amongst the plague of injuries, however, has been netminder Sam Montembeault. In January so far, he’s averaging a 0.916 save percentage, but his last outing – against his former team – ended with a 7.50 GAA.
Where to Bet on the Maple Leafs vs Canadiens Money Line
The ice hockey betting markets are clearly leaning towards a Toronto Maple Leafs win on January 21, with the Buds on the money line at -250 being this prediction’s pick.
Toronto are playing great hockey right now, their star players are firing, and the Habs are incredibly depleted throughout their lines.
This isn’t to say that Montréal won’t put up a fight, as they always turn up against the Buds – especially at Centre Bell. However, the Maple Leafs are simply the stronger team that’s playing better hockey right now.
What Puck Line Bet to Place for Maple Leafs vs Canadiens
Backing the Toronto Maple Leafs at -1.5 on the puck line for odds of +145 is the preferred betting pick here, with this game having the makings of a big win for the travelling team.
Regardless of Montréal’s mildly superior home record, they’ve scored as many goals as the Buds have conceded (122), and their opponents average 3.4 goals per game.
With the Canadiens likely to need to pull the goalie in the final period, at least a two-goal cushion for the Maple Leafs looks to be a sound pick in the NHL odds.
Which Total Goals Line to Bet on for Maple Leafs vs Canadiens
Back the over 5.5 goals at odds of -222 for this clash of Canadian clubs. Even with Montembeault in good form, he’s averaged three goals against throughout January so far.
Toronto are also susceptible to conceding multiple goals. In January, they’ve conceded 27 goals in regulation time through nine games to also average three against per game.
Add in the heat of this rivalry, and you’d expect plenty of goals to be scored at Centre Bell this Saturday.
The puck drops for Toronto vs Montréal at 7 pm ET on January 21.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 20th January 2023
