The Toronto Maple Leafs are struggling ahead of a second half of a back-to-back against the Dallas Stars.
The pregame narrative: The Leafs lost 5-3 last night and now travel to Dallas to play a surging Stars squad. Toronto will need a much better effort tonight to rebound against one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
Check out my Maple Leafs vs. Stars SGP predictions on Dec. 21, featuring Jason Robertson and Matthew Knies.
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Lightning vs. Maple Leafs predictions
Parlay: Stars ML | Robertson 1+ points | Knies 1+ points (+295)
Stars ML (-205): There is no trusting the Leafs in this one.
They have lost four of their last five games and have ultimately played worse on the road, with a 5-9-0 record this season.
The defence continues to be a disappointment, while the offence is far from the explosive unit it once was.
Toronto was embarrassed by the Nashville Predators on Saturday, and the task only gets tougher on Sunday.
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The Stars are an incredible team. They are having an amazing season that is being overshadowed by the Colorado Avalanche’s historic start.
But that doesn’t take away from the fact that the Stars are elite. They are 24-7-5 this season with a +32 goal differential.
On top of that, they’ve won three in a row and seven of their past 10. That includes battering the Anaheim Ducks 8-3 last time out.
If Toronto wants to beat Dallas, it needs to bring its A-game. I don’t see that as a possible outcome with the Leafs on a back-to-back playing some terrible hockey.
Leafs SGP picks
Robertson 1+ points (-275): This is the perfect matchup for a guy like Robertson.
He takes a ton of shots, and the Leafs welcome that, allowing the second-most shots per game in the NHL (31.3).
Against Anaheim, Robertson had two goals and an assist. He is now 19-6 on this wager since the start of November, with 34 points during that time.
That brings me back to the Leafs’ defence. To go along with giving up a lot of shots, they naturally rank in the bottom 10 for goals allowed.
This is a prime spot for a forward of Robertson’s skill, and he should take full advantage.
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Knies 1+ points (-115): Knies hasn’t been producing for the Leafs, but he is often in a position to succeed.
He continues to play over 20 minutes a night, skating on the top line and first power play unit.
Despite only having one point in the past seven games, he still has 29 points in 31 games this season.
Even though the Stars are a strong defensive team, they rank right in the middle of the pack for shots allowed, and they take a lot of penalty minutes.
That could be the formula needed for Knies to get back on track.
Maple Leafs vs. Stars SGP made at 9:45 a.m. ET on Dec. 21, 2025.
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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.