After spoiling the Winnipeg Jets‘ home opener with a lopsided 7-2 victory on Wednesday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs return to the Air Canada Centre to open their home schedule against the New York Rangers on Saturday as -140 favourites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The Maple Leafs’ vaunted offence was on full display in their win over the Jets as +106 underdogs, with six players recording multiple points in the club’s first victory to open a season in four years. However, Toronto has enjoyed limited success in recent home openers, compiling a 2-4-3 record over its past nine going into Saturday night’s Rangers versus Maple Leafs betting matchup at Air Canada Centre.
Leafs Nation welcomes back the club amid high expectations after a breakthrough 94-point campaign and return to the playoffs last season. That success has helped lift Toronto into contention on the Stanley Cup odds, where they join four other squads at +1400.
The New York Rangers travel to Toronto as +110 underdogs after dropping a 4-2 decision to the Colorado Avalanche as heavy -203 home chalk on Wednesday. New York led the NHL last season with a 27-12-2 road record and has dominated the Maple Leafs in recent years, picking up the win in six of seven meetings overall, and claiming a victory in 10 of their past 13 visits to the ACC.
Also on Saturday, the Ottawa Senators will try to bounce back from a 5-4 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals as a +120 underdog on Thursday when they welcome the Detroit Red Wings to town as -175 chalk.
The Senators emerged as one of the surprise stories of last season, finishing second in the Atlantic Division standings with 98 points before marching to an Eastern Conference final against the Pittsburgh Penguins. But with star defenceman Erik Karlsson having opened the season on the shelf with a foot injury, the Senators are back at +700 on the odds to win the Atlantic Division.
Ottawa has won two of it last five against the rebuilding Red Wings, with both of those victories coming on home ice, including a 2-0 win as -175 chalk in the final week of last season.
In other NHL betting action on Saturday night, the Montreal Canadiens continue their season-opening road trip with a visit to Washington, where they face the Capitals as +130 underdogs.
As well, the Jets are searching for their first win of the season as +127 road underdogs in their date with the Calgary Flames, who return home as -140 chalk after opening their schedule with a 3-0 loss in Edmonton as +140 underdogs on Wednesday.
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