'Tis the final day of hockey before the NHL pauses for the Christmas break.
With Auston Matthews expected to be out, Toronto will need William Nylander to step up once again, and it’s his shot prop market that catches my eye.
Find out why in my free Maple Leafs vs. Jets predictions and NHL picks for this Monday, December 23 matchup.
Maple Leafs vs Jets prediction
My Leafs pick
William Nylander Over 3.5 shots on goal (-140 at Sports Interaction)
My Leafs analysis
We’ve got a rare 2:00 p.m. start time today as the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Winnipeg Jets in the “Next Gen Game.”
This is the second meeting between these two teams this year. Toronto won the first game 6-4 back in October, which gave Winnipeg its first loss of the season. The Buds seem to have Winnipeg’s number lately, winning six straight games, outscoring them 26-11 while averaging 31.5 shots per game.
Despite leading the NHL with 24 wins, the Jets have been susceptible to leaky defensive zone coverage as the team is allowing 29.2 shots on net per game, which ranks 23rd in the NHL.
Toronto had a lot of success offensively in the previous meeting between these two clubs back in October when the Leafs peppered Winnipeg with 36 shots on net, making it three straight games against the Jets where the Buds generated 30+ shots on goal.
Thus, why I'm targeting the shots market for tonight as my best bet.
With Auston Matthews set to miss this afternoon’s bout, I’m looking at William Nylander to take control of the offense today.
Nylander’s shot prop is set at 3.5. The Leafs skilled winger is averaging 4.4 shots per game with Matthews out of the lineup this season. He’s averaging 3.55 shots per game overall and has registered four or more in four of his last six games.
The Jets rank in the Bottom 10 of the league in terms of shot-suppressing. They also give up a lot of quality chances, giving up the eighth-most high-danger chances this season.
Nylander leads the Leafs in shots and individual high-danger chances and is just one goal shy of the NHL lead in the Rocket Richard odds. With this being the final game before the Christmas break, Willy should be looking to empty the tank tonight with a game-breaking performance that should result in many opportunities to shoot and score.
Maple Leafs vs Jets same-game parlay (SGP)
William Nylander 4+ shots on goal
William Nylander anytime goal
Bobby McMann 2+ shots on goal
For the first leg of the SGP, we’ll ride with the best bet for today and take William Nylander to register 4+ shots on net.
Next up, we’ll stick with the Nylander theme and take him to score an anytime goal. Toronto has had a lot of offensive success against Winnipeg, averaging over four goals per game over the Leafs’ six-game winning streak against the Jets. The Swedish sniper scored twice in the last meeting against Winnipeg and would love to finish up the Christmas break tied with Leon Draisaitl for the league lead in goals.
Let’s continue to take advantage of a red-hot Bobby McMann and take him to register 2+ shots again tonight for the final leg of the SGP. He’s scored in three straight games and is clearly playing with confidence. McMann has hit this total in all five games since returning from injury and has cleared this number in 12 of his last 13 outings.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Maple Leafs vs Jets odds
Maple Leafs vs Jets live odds
Maple Leafs vs Jets opening odds
- Puck line: Toronto -1.5 | Winnipeg +1.5
- Moneyline: Toronto -115 | Winnipeg -105
- Over/Under: Over 5.5 | Under 5.5
Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction.
Maple Leafs vs Jets trend
The Maple Leafs are 8-2 in the last 10 meetings between these two clubs. Find more NHL betting trends for Maple Leafs vs. Jets.
How to watch Maple Leafs vs Jets
| Location: | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON |
| Date: | Monday, 12-23-2024 |
| Puck drop: | 2:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN |
Maple Leafs vs Jets latest injuries
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