maple leafs vs blue jackets nhl betting prediction
PublishedDecember 23, 2023,            Posted By: Maria Uebelhor
Last updated:December 23, 2023 , ,

NHL: Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets Prediction 12/23/2023

The Toronto Maple Leafs (16-8-6) travel to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets (11-18-6) on Saturday, December 23rd. This game will be played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Both the Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 ET.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Columbus Blue Jackets

The Toronto Maple Leafs Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Facing the Blue Jackets, the Maple Leafs have a record of 16-8-6 so far. At home, their record is 9-5-2 and 7-3-4 on the road. At the moment, they hold the 2nd spot in the Eastern Atlantic division and are ranked 6th in the Eastern conference. Looking at Toronto’s average scoring margin, it is +.2, which has led to a puck line record of 8-22. When playing at home, their scoring margin is +.4, and on the road, it is +.1.

Coming off a 9-3 loss on the road to the Sabres, the Maple Leafs are hoping to bounce back today. Offensively, the Maple Leafs registered two goals during the first period and one time in the second period. One of Toronto’s three goals came while in power play, while they scored one time when shorthanded. They finished the game with 27 shots on goal.

In this game, Toronto was favored by -1.5, but they suffered a loss against the puck line. The over/under line going into the game was 7 goals, which the teams surpassed with their combined 12 goals.

The Columbus Blue Jackets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

This season, the Blue Jackets have put together an overall record of 11-18-6. When playing on the road, Columbus has gone 4-8-3, while their home record stands at 7-10-3. This record has them sitting 8th in the Eastern Metropolitan division and 15th in the Eastern conference. Columbus has eight wins by more than one goals and dropped 12 games by multiple goals. Their overall puck line record is 21-13 this season.

Following a 3-2 loss at home to the Capitals, the Blue Jackets are eager to bounce back. In the opening period, the Blue Jackets couldn’t find the net on offense, but they rebounded with one time in the second period and one goal in the third. All two goals came at even strength. They finished with 36 shots on goal and had 2 turnovers.

Despite the loss, Columbus did cover the puck line, as they went into the game as the underdog. The game finished below the over/under line of 6 with a combined total of 5 goals.

Toronto Offense Breakdown

For their offensive performance, the Maple Leafs come in averaging 3.6 goals per game this season, which is 8th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 17th in the league. This year, the Maple Leafs have recorded a 6-3 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. For games with fewer shots on goal, they have 9-5 record.

The Maple Leafs’ over/under record this season is 18-11-1. For the season, they have had 11 games failing to surpass this game’s over/under line of 7. Overall, their games are averaging 7.2 goals per game.

Columbus Offense Breakdown

When looking at their offense, the Blue Jackets have an average of 3.1 goals per game this season, positioning themselves 10th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are ranked 12th in the league. Coming into the game, the Blue Jackets have 3-5 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 8-13.

This season, the Blue Jackets’ have an over/under record of 20-14-0. Throughout the season, they have played 14 games that did not exceed the 7 over/under line. On average, their games are averaging 6.8 goals per game.

Toronto Team Defense

The Maple Leafs defense is currently 18th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 32.5 shots per game against Toronto. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 10th with 2 shutouts.

Columbus Team Defense

The Blue Jackets’ defense comes into the game with a ranking of 19th in takeaways and an average of 6.1 takeaways per contest. They hold 2nd place in the NHL for goals allowed, with an average of 3.3 goals given up per game.

Maple Leafs vs Blue Jackets TrendsColumbus Blue Jacket

  • Through their last ten road contests, the Maple Leafs offense has averaged 3 goals per game while allowing an average of 3. Toronto posted an overall record of 4-6 while going 1-9 ATS.
  • Across their last five home contests, Columbus has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 2-3, while averaging 4 goals per game.
  • Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Columbus has an puck line mark of 3-2 while going 2-3 straight up.
  • In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Maple Leafs have a straight up record of 5-5 and an puck line mark of 2-8.

Maple Leafs vs Blue Jackets Prediction

When it comes to a straight moneyline bet, look no further than the Maple Leafs. Nevertheless, given the payout of -200, you could also think about incorporating this bet into a parlay.

My recommended pick for the puck line is to take the Blue Jackets to cover. Even if the Maple Leafs win straight-up, this one should be close throughout and the Blue Jackets should cover the puck line.

With an over/under line sitting at 7 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down on the over.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.