The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.
The pregame narrative: The Ducks come into Toronto after playing (and losing) last night. I’m predicting Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have productive games for the Leafs. For Anaheim, I’m taking Troy Terry to go over his shots prop.
Check out my Maple Leafs picks vs. Ducks for Dec. 12.
Maple Leafs picks vs. Ducks
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Best Bet: Matthews over 4.5 shots (-118)
If there’s any matchup to back Matthews in, it’s this one.
- Anaheim allows the most shots against per game (32.9).
- The Ducks allowed 30+ shots in seven of the last nine games.
Meanwhile, Matthews ranks fourth in the NHL in shot attempts per game (7.8) and second in shots on goal per game (4.1).
Anaheim also played last night, losing 5-1 to the Ottawa Senators. I expect the Ducks to play extra sloppy with the added fatigue, leading to loads of offence for the Leafs.
Key stat: Matthews had five of the Leafs’ 17 shots in their 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.
Quick picks
Marner to record 2+ points (+110): I cannot keep myself away from this market — and for good reason.
Marner is on an absolute tear right now, scoring multiple points in 11 of his last 15 games.
He was held off the score sheet against the Devils, but that’s even more reason to jump in now against the inferior Ducks.
In Anaheim’s 5-1 loss yesterday, three different Ottawa Senators’ skaters had multiple points (Drake Batherson, Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk).
If Toronto can replicate that offensive output, there’s no doubt in my mind that Marner will be at the centre of it.
Terry over 2.5 shots (-118): For my final pick, I want to back a player on the away side.
Terry is the Ducks’ best offensive player and it’s not close. He has 21 points in 27 games, which is eight more than the next-highest Ducks player (Frank Vatrano).
Terry leads Anaheim’s forwards in average time on ice (18:42), and he’s played more than 19 minutes in six straight (skating 20-plus minutes in four of six).
If anyone is going to will the Ducks to some offence against the Leafs, it’s Terry. He averages 2.6 shots on goal per game.
NHL picks made at 10:09 a.m. ET on 12/12/24.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.