New York Islanders vs Toronto Maple Leafs Betting Picks

The Islanders know how to win on the road, going 20-13-3 in their away games this season. New York won for the eighth time in 11 games with a 3-2 victory against the Flames this past Saturday. That was the Islanders' league-leading 25th one-goal victory this season. The Islanders have earned trust as they fight to stay in the playoff race. The Maple Leafs haven't. The Leafs are a near-hopeless 10 points out of the playoffs as the seventh-place team in the Atlantic Division. Toronto did upset Minnesota on the road two days ago, 4-2. That was just Toronto's second win in its last 11 games. The Leafs are minus team captain and prolific offensive threat Auston Matthews. He is out for the season with an MCL tear. Toronto is 29th defensively, giving up 3.4 goals a game. The Leafs have allowed three or more goals in 10 of their last 11 games. The Islanders cough up just 2.8 goals per game, fourth-best in the league. Take the Islanders. 

Auston Matthews has picked up his game in a big way after a slump. That is bad news for the Islanders. Matthews has four goals and four assists during his last three games after scoring three goals in the Maple Leafs' 6-5 victory against the Jets two days ago. That was Toronto's fourth victory in its last five games, with the only loss coming to the Red Wings in overtime on the road during this span. Matthews has five goals in his previous six games against New York. The Maple Leafs are averaging five goals per game in their last five games. The Islanders don't have this kind of momentum. They are 3-5 in their previous eight games and just got blasted, 7-2, by the Mammoth at home two days ago. Worse for the Islanders is their leading scorer, Bo Horvat, who hobbled off the ice with a lower-body injury in that game and is out. Ilya Sorokin, the Islanders' top goalie, hasn't played since Dec. 19 and won't play here. Take the Maple Leafs.

Toronto beat the Islanders 3-1 on Tuesday when David Kampf, Steven Lorentz and John Tavares scored as Joseph Woll made 30 saves for the Maple Leafs, who have won five of eight. That game was at Toronto and the the Leafs have won eight of 10 in the second game of a home-and-home situation. Toronto also has won four of its past five road contests and New York is 2-8 playing with one day of rest. The Islanders have lost five of seven overall and they are 5-10 against Eastern Conference foes. Ilya Sorokin will start for New York and he is 11-12-4 this season. Woll is expected to get the call again for Toronto and he is 11-6-0 with a 2.48 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. Take the Maple Leafs.