An Original Six matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers headlines Saturday’s NHL slate.
The pregame narrative: New York and Toronto both have capable offences which has me eyeing the over on tonight’s game total. The Rangers are road underdogs and I’ll take the value with a good team. Thirdly, I like Alexis Lafreniere to register a point in the contest.
Check out our Maple Leafs picks vs. the Rangers for the game on Oct. 19.
Maple Leafs picks vs. Rangers
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Best bet: Over 6 goals (-121)
Both Toronto and New York are scoring at will.
Toronto has scored four-plus goals in three consecutive games, with the lone exception being a shutout loss in its season opener despite registering 48 shots against the Montreal Canadiens.
New York has scored four-plus goals in all four games it played this season. The offence is led by Artemi Panarin, who’s tied for first in the NHL with 11 points.
The goaltenders are both playing well and capable of keeping this total low, but I am still skeptical of Anthony Stolarz.
Stolarz has been sensational and boasts a .940 save percentage through three starts. It’s important to remember, however, that this is a journeyman backup. He is certainly susceptible to a slip-up, especially against one of the NHL’s best offences.
Bet on two elite offences looking strong on Saturday night.
Key stat: The over on this total has hit or pushed in three of four games for Toronto and New York this season.
Other picks
Rangers moneyline (+110): Both teams enter this game with wins in three of four games.
The Rangers and Maple Leafs are both capable of earning two points, but the former comes with plus-money odds, making them the better value choice.
New York has been dominant in its wins this season, too. All three of the team’s wins have been by three-plus goals, and its lone loss came in overtime to the Utah Hockey Club.
Lafreniere to score 1+ points (-129): Lafreniere is showing signs that he’s the player New York hoped for when the organization selected him first overall in 2020.
The young winger is coming off a career-best 57 points in 2023-24 and is entering a contract year. Lafreniere is certainly playing his way into a nice extension as he has five points in four games this year, registering one in all four games this season.
He plays alongside Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin on an elite first line for New York. Adding Lafreniere to score a point is a logical next step with the over and Rangers moneyline on my card for Saturday.
Picks made at 10:45 a.m. on 10/19/24.
Stevie’s an avid NFL, NHL, and tennis bettor who has no problem talking himself into the underdog. His previous stops include Yahoo! Sports Canada and Toronto Metropolitan University, where he received a degree in Sport Media.