LiontipsToronto vs. Washington. NHL Match Prediction and Bets
Command Analysis
Current form
Toronto is fourth in the Eastern Conference with 44 points. The team has every chance to improve its position in the table if it continues to show similar results and generate winning streaks. Recall that the Leafs recently interrupted their successful streak of three games. They managed to win over Buffalo (5:3) on home ice, and also defeated Dallas (5:3) and the Blades (6:3) on the road. However, in the last two home games against the Islanders and Winnipeg, the Leafs unexpectedly lost with a score of 3:6 and 2:5, respectively.
Interestingly, Craig Berube team has returned to a more aggressive style of play, which has certainly had an impact on their scoring. However, this has also led to an increase in the number of goals conceded. At the same time, the season is going well for William Nylander and Mitchell Marner, who are the team leading scorers and have managed to earn 38 and 45 points in the goal + assist system, respectively.
It especially worth noting that the Leafs have been playing extremely well in the second period, with a goal-to-goal ratio of 46:28. The team has been working hard to improve their power play and currently sits 18th in the league with a 20% power play conversion rate. That a significant improvement over where they were before, and if they continue to improve in that area, they could very well become an incredibly difficult opponent for many teams.
Disqualifications and injuries
Klingberg, Jarnkrok, Stollarz and Matthews out with injury
Interesting trends for betting
- Toronto is getting 8.26 penalty minutes per game.
On average, the "leaves" are removed at least four times per game.
- Toronto has an 83% power play neutralization rate
The Leafs are seventh in the league in this indicator.
Current form
Washington continues to surprise with its results this season and currently occupies second place in the Eastern Conference standings. The team is only slightly behind New Jersey and occasionally overtakes it. The Capitals did not slow down even after Alexander Ovechkin injury. After two consecutive defeats to Dallas (1:3) and Chicago (2:3) on the road, they pulled themselves together and won confident victories over Carolina (3:1) and Los Angeles (3:1) on home ice, while conceding only one goal in each match.
However, the Capitals were unable to leave the break on a high note. Let us recall that in the final away match with Boston they lost 1:4, having scored only one goal. And, apparently, at that time, the “Louse” was already preparing to celebrate Christmas, since they only made 11 shots at the opponent’s goal and created almost no dangerous moments.
However, it should be noted that Washington is successful in the first and third game periods, where it has an excellent ratio of goals scored and goals conceded. However, with the far benches, namely in the second period, it does not perform at its best. But Spencer Carbery squad demonstrates excellent results on the road and has managed to win 12 of 17 matches, which indicates its high competitiveness away from home.
Disqualifications and injuries
Ovechkin, Backstrom, Oshie and Milano will not play in the upcoming match due to injuries.
Interesting trends for betting
- Washington has a 21.2% power play percentage.
According to this indicator, the team currently occupies 17th place in the championship.
- "Lice" receives an average of 8.36 minutes of penalty time
According to statistics, the team is sent off at least four times per match
Trends
Bet 1st period: total under 1.5 goals
In four out of five matches between the clubs, the first period was unscoring
1.95Bet 3rd period: away team win
Last time, Washington took a 2-0 lead into the third period.
2.80Tip and bets
We think that Washington can cause difficulties for Toronto in the upcoming confrontation. It is no coincidence that the Capitals put the last match against the Leafs behind them and looked very good then. Moreover, we must take into account the fact that Craig Berube team lost in the last two matches on the home court. Also, we should not forget that the Leafs continue to play without a key attacker in the person of Auston Matthews. In our opinion, the visitors should take advantage of this and get two points.
Prediction - Washington win with handicap (0) for 2.15
Bet on individual total
Washington has a decent scoring record in many games and scores at least three goals. The team is currently one of the most prolific in its conference and even on the road it scores three times on average. Toronto, in turn, has conceded at least three times in its last five games. Given the visiting team style of play, they could very well claim three goals this time.
We bet on Washington individual total over 2.5 goals for 1.75
Total Bet
Matches between the teams are often spectacular and feature six or more goals. Toronto is not afraid to concede an extra goal, since it is also capable of scoring a lot in response. The same can be said about Washington, which is focused exclusively on attack. Thus, three previous meetings out of four between the Leafs and Capitals were over-the-top, so it makes sense to bet on the total over this time.
We take the total over 5.5 pucks with a coefficient of 1.72
