The Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking for a fifth straight victory when they visit the surprising Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night as -155 favourites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Toronto celebrated the last-minute signing of forward William Nylander to a contract extension by ending a two-game losing streak on the road with Saturday’s 5-3 win in Minnesota as a -105 wager, and takes an Eastern-leading 10-3-0 road record into Tuesday night’s Maple Leafs versus Sabres betting matchup at KeyBank Center.
With the Maple Leafs offence firing on all cylinders there is no immediate urgency to insert Nylander into the lineup for Tuesday’s contest. Toronto shooters have averaged five goals per game during the club’s current four-game tear, and have now tallied five or more goals in seven of the past 14 outings.
The Maple Leafs have been equally stingy during their high-scoring run, surrendering just 2.4 goals per game over their past 10. However, the OVER has been a steady performer in totals betting, going 7-2-3 in the club’s past 12 games including a 4-1-2 run on the road.
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With the team getting things done on the ice and Nylander’s lengthy holdout behind them, the Maple Leafs continue to lead the way on the Stanley Cup odds, where they have improved to short +390 favourites.
However, the Maple Leafs can expect stiff competition on Tuesday from a vastly improved Sabres squad pegged as +130 home underdogs on the NHL odds.
The Sabres have emerged as playoff contenders during the first two months of the NHL season, briefly taking over top spot in the Atlantic Division during a 10-game win streak, and vaulting to a +400 wager to claim their first divisional title since 2010.
Buffalo has been particularly strong in close contests, winning by a single goal on nine occasions during its recent win streak, and in 10 of 14 one-goal contests this season.
However, Buffalo struggled on its recent three-game road trip, dropping one-goal decisions in Tampa Bay and Florida before closing out their junket with a narrow 2-1 loss in Nashville as a +150 wager on Monday night.
The Sabres have also produced mixed results in recent dates with Toronto. Buffalo has fallen to defeat in three of five meetings while alternating between wins and losses in its past six matchups with the Maple Leafs on home ice, according to the OddsShark NHL Database, capped by a 5-2 loss as +130 home underdogs back on March 15.
