The Toronto Maple Leafs (20-10-7), third in the NHL standings for the Central Division, and San Jose Sharks (9-28-3), eighth in the Pacific Division, meet for the second time in four nights on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena. Toronto beat the Sharks 4-1 on Saturday, outshooting them 33-24 in a dominant victory. The Maple Leafs have won three in a row, while the Sharks have lost 11 straight.
Sharks vs Maple Leafs Picks
- Pick: Maple Leafs -1.5 (-150)
Mackenzie Blackwood (3.84 GAA, .891 save percentage) is the projected starting goaltender for the Sharks, and Martin Jones (2.08 GAA, .932 save percentage), a former Shark, is expected to start in goal for Toronto. Let’s check out some NHL picks for the Sharks vs. Maple Leafs score prediction.
San Jose Sharks vs Toronto Maple Leafs Odds
SJ Sharks vs TOR Maple Leafs Information
San Jose Sharks vs Toronto Maple Leafs
Location of the game: Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario
Date & Time: Tuesday, January 9 at 7 p.m. ET
How to Watch: ESPN+ and TSN4 (Canada)
San Jose Sharks vs Toronto Maple Leafs Recent Scores
Toronto has won three consecutive NHL games, which was much needed after losing five of six. They swept their West Coast road trip, beating San Jose, Los Angeles, and Anaheim by a combined score of 9-2. Jones has stabilized the team’s goaltending with his steady and confident play.
The Sharks were somewhat on their way to relevancy about a month ago, but they’re back in the basement following 11 consecutive losses on the NHL schedule. San Jose hasn’t won since December 12 and has been outscored 48-16 during that stretch.
San Jose Sharks vs Toronto Maple Leafs Betting Preview
Sharks Have Just Three Road Wins
Looking ahead to the Sharks vs. Maple Leafs score prediction, it’s hard to see San Jose winning the game considering they’re just 3-16-1 on the road this season. They’re among the NHL picks to win the draft lottery and currently sit last among NHL teams for goals allowed per game (4.03), shots allowed (35.3), goals (2.0), and shots (25.3). They also have the third-worst penalty kill in the league, which is reason for concern against a Toronto power play that is operating at 25 percent efficiency.
Tomas Hertl and Mikael Granlund are the only consistent offensive threats on the San Jose Sharks as they rank first and second in NHL player stats with 28 points (13 goals, 15 assists) and 26 points (5 goals, 21 assists), respectively. Hertl has just one point in his last six games, however. The San Jose Sharks standings – 32nd in the league and five points back of 31st place Chicago Blackhawks – isn’t surprising, considering these stats.
Nico Sturm, Gemel Smith, Matt Benning, and Logan Couture are on the NHL injury report for the Sharks. Couture has yet to play this season but could return during San Jose’s five-game road trip.
Maple Leafs Tend to Play Down to Their Opponents
The Toronto Maple Leafs roster is among the best in the league, with likely Rocket Richard Trophy winner Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander, who leads the team in NHL player stats with 54 points (21 goals, 33 assists) and just signed an eight-year, $92 million contract extension. The Maple Leafs are seventh in goals (3.49) and sixth in shots (33.1), but they tend to play down to their opponents.
Since late November, Toronto has wins over Los Angeles, New York Rangers, and Florida Panthers. However, they’ve also lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators, Chicago Blackhawks, and Buffalo Sabres. In fact, they’ve lost twice against Chicago and Buffalo this year. The Toronto Maple Leafs also tends to play better on the road than at home, where they’re just 9-7-2 this season. With that said, a loss against the Sharks, who have lost 11 in a row, would be catastrophic.
San Jose Sharks vs Toronto Maple Leafs Odds Breakdown
Toronto is the favorite for the Sharks vs. Maple Leafs score prediction with -450 moneyline and -1.5 (-150) puck line. The Sharks have NHL odds of +350 for the moneyline and +1.5 (+140) for the puck line. The over/under is 6.5.
San Jose Sharks vs Toronto Maple Leafs Pick and Prediction
- Final Score Prediction: Toronto 5-2
- Pick: Maple Leafs -1.5 (-150)
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