NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Maple Leafs vs. Stars (April 7)
Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images. Pictured: Toronto Maple Leafs standout Mitch Marner.
- The Dallas Stars host the Toronto Maple Leafs in Thursday night's NHL action.
- The Maple Leafs are coming off a brutal loss against the Florida Panthers, but our analyst thinks the Atlantic Division power is the right side in this clash.
- Check out why Jonny Lazarus is backing Toronto to win below.
Maple Leafs vs. Stars Odds
| Maple Leafs Odds | -140 |
| Stars Odds | +115 |
| Over/Under | 6.5 |
| Time | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Toronto Maple Leafs are coming off what might be their most difficult loss of the season. They had a 5-1 lead against the Florida Panthers before seeing it disappear, eventually suffering a 7-6 overtime defeat.
On the other side, the Dallas Stars have won four of their last five contests and enter Thursday’s game on the heels of their dominant performance against the New York Islanders where captured a 3-2 win and held a 40-21 shot advantage.
So, let’s see what might be in store for this game and where we can find betting value.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs sit in second place in the Atlantic Division, putting them three points ahead of the Boston Bruins. They have been on a roll of late, but let their most recent game slip away as they surrendered a four-goal lead in Florida.
Toronto will play the final game of this four-game road trip, which has been a major success thus far as it’s 2-0-1 in that span. The team’s offense has looked nearly unstoppable, scoring 18 goals in their previous three games.
Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews have caught fire and are quite the dynamic duo. Matthews has 54 goals and 41 assists for 95 points in 65 games, while Marner has recorded 31 goals and 57 assists (88 points) in 61 games.
They’re driving the offense, which ranks second in the NHL in production by scoring 3.83 goals per game. The Maple Leafs also have the best power play in the league, converting at an insane 30.2% rate.
That said, the Stars will have their work cut out for them.
Dallas Stars
The Stars might be in a playoff position at the moment, but they are not feeling 100% secure in the standings.
Dallas has played a strong stretch of hockey, winning four of its last five games, but hasn’t had close to the offensive production of its opponent this season.
The Stars have had a taste of their foes just once this season and the offense didn’t show up, as they were shut out in a 4-0 rout despite having 35 shots on goal. Dallas has some offensive talent, but its top guys aren't as skilled as the Toronto forwards.
Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson are leading this group, Pavelski has racked up 25 goals and 43 assists for 68 points in 69 games, while Robertson has 32 goals and 31 assists for 63 points in 61 games.
The one area where Dallas is much stronger is goaltending. Jake Oettinger has been excellent for the Stars. He has only given up eight goals in his last three starts, going 2-0-1 in those games.
Maple Leafs vs. Stars
Both teams have been playing some good hockey of late, but the Toronto offense is a force to be reckoned with at the moment. It seems like nobody can slow the Maple Leafs down, as they have scored 47 goals in their last 10 games. That’s simply ridiculous.
Dallas has strong goaltending, but there’s just no way it will be able to put up as many goals as its opponent right now. You also have to keep in mind that Toronto is coming off a humiliating loss and looking for a resilient, bounce-back performance.
I like Toronto to respond from its loss in Florida and come out of Dallas with two points.
Pick: Toronto ML (-140)
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