Connor Brown, Anthony Duclair, and the Ottawa Senators will face off against Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner, and the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena for an Atlantic Division showdown. The opening face-off is at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 1, and it is being shown live on CBC Sports.
Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs Odds
Ottawa (+260) is currently the underdog to Toronto (-315), and oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 7 goals. The odds for betting that total stand at -145 for the over and +125 for the under at William Hill Sportsbook.
Toronto is 27-24 straight up (SU) and has lost 6.6 units for moneyline bettors this year. That early-season winning percentage is fairly close to the 46-36 record the team managed during the 2018-19 season campaign. Among its 51 games this season, 30 have gone over the total, while 19 have gone under and just two have pushed. The team is 12-13 SU at home this season.
The Maple Leafs have converted on 23.4 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a figure that places them in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 25th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 76.9 percent of all penalties.
With a .910 save percentage and 28.3 saves per game, Frederik Andersen (24-17-6) has been the most dependable option in goal for the Leafs this year. If head coach Sheldon Keefe chooses to give him a breather, however, the team could go with Michael Hutchinson (3-9-9 record, .885 save percentage, 3.83 goals against average).
On the other bench, Ottawa is 18-33 straight up (SU) and has lost 8.3 units for bettors taking the moneyline thus far. Through 51 regular season contests, 28 of its games have gone over the total, while 21 have gone under the total and just one has pushed. The Senators are 6-19 SU as the visiting team this season.
The Senators have converted on just 14.8 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s ranked 29th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 17th overall and it’s successfully killed off 81.1 percent of all opponent power plays.
Craig Anderson (3.25 goals against average and .899 save percentage) has been the primary option in goal for Ottawa. Anderson is averaging 26.0 saves per game and owns a 7-16-1 record.
Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Free Picks
Free NHL Pick: SU Winner – Maple Leafs, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
Two of the Maple Leafs’ last ten games have been decided by a shootout. The team is 0-2 in those games and 1-4 overall in shootouts this season.
For both of these clubs, the over has hit in four of their past five outings.
The Maple Leafs are 6-4 in games where they take at least 10 more shots than their opponent. They’ve averaged the league’s fourth-most shots on goal (33.6) while the Senators have attempted just the 25th-most (33.6).
Six of Ottawa’s last ten games have been decided by two goals or more. The team is 2-4 in those games.
Ottawa skaters have accounted for the league’s fifth-most hits per game (27.3).