The Toronto Maple Leafs will be trying to win consecutive road games in Los Angeles for the first time in six years when they visit the Kings on Thursday night as -170 betting favourites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The Maple Leafs had their historical struggles in California extended with a lopsided 5-2 loss in San Jose on Tuesday, and they will be searching for just their second win in their last six visits to Los Angeles in Thursday night’s matchup at the Staples Center.
Offensive production has been a long-time concern when the Maple Leafs visit the Kings, as Toronto shooters have averaged just 2.5 goals per game over their past 12 visits to Los Angeles. However, the Maple Leafs offence was clicking in the team’s last road meeting with the Kings, a decisive 5-1 victory as +120 underdogs at online betting sites in November 2018.
The Maple Leafs had also shown signs of regaining their offensive touch prior to Tuesday’s loss to the Sharks, potting four goals per game during a 4-1-0 run that solidified their hold on third place in the Atlantic Division, five points up on the Florida Panthers. The offensive outburst has also contributed to a steady 6-2 run for the OVER in totals betting over Toronto’s past eight contests.
Elsewhere on the Thursday NHL odds, the Edmonton Oilers will be trying to win four games in a row for the first time since opening the season on a 5-0-0 run as they visit the Chicago Blackhawks as -105 underdogs. The Oilers have impressed during their current three-game win streak, which has featured a 3-2 comeback victory over Winnipeg, an 8-3 rout in Nashville, and a 2-1 overtime win in Dallas as +140 underdogs on Tuesday.
That victory over the Stars extended a solid run for Edmonton on the road, as the Oilers have now won five of their last seven away from Rogers Place according to the OddsShark NHL Database. But despite their offensive explosion against the Predators the team has struggled to regularly fill the net, scoring three or fewer goals in six of its past eight contests.
Edmonton must also contend with a revitalized Blackhawks team that rides a three-game win streak into Thursday’s contest, and that has limited the Oilers to just 12 total goals over their past eight visits to the Windy City.
Also on the board on Thursday night, the Montreal Canadiens will vie for a third straight win as they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning as +165 underdogs, while the Ottawa Senators host the fading New York Islanders as +130 underdogs.
