The Toronto Maple Leafs will try to avoid losing six games in a row for the first time since November 2019 when they open a two-game road series against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday as -140 favourites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Goaltending continued to be a concern as Toronto dropped a 6-3 decision in Vancouver on Tuesday night that also marked the team’s third straight loss on the road going into Thursday night’s matchup at Bell MTS Place.
Jack Campbell has gone winless in three outings since opening the season with 11 straight victories, while recently acquired backstop David Rittich has been lit up for eight total goals in two starts since coming over from Calgary ahead of the trade deadline.
But the Maple Leafs’ netminders have received little offensive support of late. Overall, the Maple Leafs have allowed an average of 4.20 goals per game during their current slide, and have potted just two goals in four of their five recent defeats. That has produced an uneven 4-3-2 run for the OVER at betting sites.
The upside for the Maple Leafs is their recent strong play in Winnipeg. The team has limited the Jets to just nine total goals while winning five straight meetings at Bell MTS Place, including a pair of low-scoring victories just three weeks ago.
However, Toronto could have its hands full against a Jets team set as +120 home underdogs for Thursday night. Winnipeg has posted wins in five of its past seven outings to pull to within four points of the North Division-leading Maple Leafs. The Jets have powered their current run with plenty of goals, averaging 4.50 goals per game over their past six victories. But they have picked up just two wins in their past six home contests, and are winless in their past five games in which they have scored three or fewer goals.
Elsewhere on the Thursday NHL odds, the Vancouver Canucks will be looking to build on this week’s home sweep of Toronto as they prepare for the first of four straight dates with the Ottawa Senators as -155 home betting favourites. That success has given the beleaguered Canucks a huge lift. However, their chances of returning to playoff contention hinge on their success against the Senators, who are pegged as +135 underdogs for Thursday.
The Senators have bolstered the NHL’s worst away record with consecutive road wins, and have now gone a respectable 14-14-3 since opening the season on a 2-12-1 run. However, Ottawa has struggled against the Canucks this season, losing all five previous meetings, and has not posted a win in Vancouver since October 2017.
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