Namely, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe has not fulfilled his NHL betting mission. Keefe was hired to end Toronto’s Stanley Cup drought that extends back to 1967. Keefe replaced the taciturn taskmaster Mike Babcock after a virtual player mutiny. While Keefe has been a regular season winner, his success has not translated to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. On Wednesday night, the Leafs face the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021. They have been in championship form down the stretch. Head coach Jon Cooper commands a winning culture.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Tampa Bay Lightning NHL Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Wednesday, April 17, 2024, 7 p.m. ET. |
|---|---|
| Location: | Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL. |
| TV Coverage: | TNT |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Leafs | +1½ -175 | 6 -120 | +140 |  |
| Lightning | -1½ +155 | 6 EV | -160 | |
| ||||
Toronto Maple Leafs Team Overview
The Toronto Maple Leafs are 46-24-10 straight up and 42-34-4 over/under the online wagering total. Also, Toronto is 5th in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. In the Eastern Conference playoff race, Toronto is ten points behind the New York Rangers. Late on, Toronto has covered six out of their last nine games. The Maple Leafs have exceeded the total in four of its previous seven matchups.
Toronto has NHL rankings of 2nd for goals scored and 7th for power play efficiency. In comparison on defense, the Maple Leafs have NHL rankings of 17th for goals against and 25th for penalty killing.
C Auston Matthews leads Toronto with 69 goals, 38 assists, 107 points, and a +18. RW William Nylander adds 40 goals, 57 assists, 97 points, and a +6. First goaltender Ilya Samsonov has a 3.13 goals against average and a .890 save percentage. His record is 23-7-8 with three shutouts. Second goaltender Joseph Woll has a 2.88 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.
Tampa Bay Lightning Team Overview
The Tampa Bay Lightning are 44-28-8 straight up and 38-38-4 over/under the NHL betting total. Also, Tampa Bay is 6th in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. Tampa Bay is 16 points behind the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Late on, Tampa Bay has covered three out of their last seven games. While the Lightning has gone over the total in three of its previous ten matchups.
Tampa Bay has NHL rankings of 5th for goals scored and for 1st power play efficiency. In comparison on defense, the Lightning have NHL rankings of 22nd for goals against and 5th for penalty killing.
G Andrei Vasilevskiy has a 2.88 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. His record is 30-19-2, with two shutouts. First among Tampa Bay scorers is RW Nikita Kucherov with 42 goals, 98 assists, 141 points and a +10. Second for Tampa Bay is Steven Stamkos, with 45 goals, 44 assists, and 89 points.
Maple Leafs at Lightning SBG Free Picks
In sum, Toronto got the cash in eight of its last ten games against Tampa Bay. Only one of the last five meetings in this series went over the total. Specifically at Tampa Bay, Toronto won its last five visits against the Lightning. Only one of the last five meetings between these teams at Tampa Bay went under the total. In this situation, the Lighting will be too expensive as the quality home team.
Maple Leafs at Lightning SBG Best Bet: Toronto Maple Leafs.