A clash of Stanley Cup betting favourites highlights the NHL schedule for Saturday as the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Colorado Avalanche as +132 underdogs on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The Maple Leafs sit at a short +900 on the Stanley Cup odds, closely trailing the Avalanche, who continue to lead the way as +525 chalk. And the Maple Leafs have helped their own cause during the four-game win streak they take into Saturday night's matchup at Ball Arena.
Toronto is coming off a 4-2 victory over the visiting Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night, with Maple Leafs shooters averaging five goals per game over their winning streak. The team has now scored five or more goals in seven of its past 12 games, and has averaged 4.50 goals per game over its past six road dates. The Maple Leafs have emerged as road warriors since coming up short in their first three away games of the season, winning eight of their subsequent 10 including six victories by double-digit margins.
However, the Maple Leafs have yet to fully overcome their recent battle with COVID-19. The team placed Mitch Marner and Pierre Engvall into the NHL's COVID-19 protocol on Friday. In addition, the team is also missing forward Ondrej Kase, who suffered an undisclosed injury earlier this week that sidelined him in Wednesday's win over the Oilers.
The Maple Leafs have enjoyed success in recent dates with the Avalanche. Toronto marched to a decisive 8-3 win when these teams met at Scotiabank Arena on Dec. 1, and has tallied the win in three of their past four meetings. The Maple Leafs have also topped the Avalanche in seven of their past nine visits to Colorado while averaging five goals per game over that stretch, according to the OddsShark NHL Database.
Set as -146 home favourites at sports betting sites for Saturday, the Avalanche return to action riding a three-game win streak. The Avalanche showed no mercy while romping to a 7-1 win over the visiting Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night. And while the Maple Leafs have impressed on the road, Colorado has been dominant while compiling a 10-game win streak on home ice.
The Avalanche have outscored opponents by a 56-22 overall margin that has powered a steady 8-1-2 run for the OVER in the team's past 11 home dates. However, with a stingy defence limiting opponents to just seven total goals, the OVER has paid out only once over Colorado's past four home dates.
