Wild vs Maple Leafs Prediction, Odds & Picks (Feb. 24): Can Toronto Overcome Minnesota’s Strong Goaltending?

Friday, Feb. 24’s NHL schedule includes a meeting between the Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. ET. Toronto already picked up a 4-3 win over Minnesota at Xcel Energy Center back in November, giving the home team the opportunity to sweep the Wild vs Maple Leafs season series tonight.

The total for Friday’s Wild/Leafs game is 6 on @BetOnlineCanada pic.twitter.com/wwmcxIYnAh

— TSN EDGE (@TSN_Edge) February 24, 2023

Despite some ups and downs, the Wild have turned things around lately. They enter tonight’s contest on a four-game winning streak, most recently notching a 2-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

The Leafs also have momentum on their side stemming from a 6-3 victory against the Buffalo Sabres in their last outing. Mitchell Marner exploded with a five-assist showing while John Tavares had a four-point night of his own. That’s not even mentioning how Ryan O’Reilly scored his first hat trick in a Toronto uniform.

It’ll be interesting to see who emerges the victor when the dust settles following tonight’s Wild vs Maple Leafs matchup. In the meantime, here’s a look at BetOnline Sportsbook’s latest odds for the game, as well as a prediction and the best bet to make, courtesy of Betting News.

Minnesota Wild vs Toronto Maple Leafs Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Minnesota Wild (32-21-5, 13-11-3 Away) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (35-15-8, 22-6-4 Home)
• Venue & Location: Scotiabank Arena (Toronto, Ontario)
• Date: Friday, Feb. 24, 2023
• Game Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
• Wild vs Maple Leafs TV Info: ESPN+

Wild vs Maple Leafs Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Friday, Feb. 24 at 8:22 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Minnesota Wild +1.5 (-148)
• Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 (+120)

Over/Under

• Over 6 Goals (-124)
• Under 6 Goals (+102)

Moneyline

• Minnesota Wild +164
• Toronto Maple Leafs -200

Wild vs Maple Leafs Betting Trends

• Minnesota is 2-5 straight up in its last seven road games.
• Toronto is 15-5 straight up in its last 20 home games.
• The total has hit the under in six of Minnesota’s last seven games.
• The total has hit the over in six of Toronto’s last eight games against the Central Division.
• The total has hit the under in 14 of the last 19 Toronto-Minnesota matchups.

Maple Leafs Favored in Return Home

The Maple Leafs enter tonight’s game as the favorite as they return home following a pair of road games. It shouldn’t be surprising to see oddsmakers on their side considering that they’re 22-6-4 at Scotiabank Arena this season.

The Maple Leafs have won their last two home contests by a combined score of 10-3, highlighting how the offense comes alive at Scotiabank Arena. In fact, they’re averaging 3.56 goals per game in their own building this season.

It’s going to be interesting to see if the Maple Leafs can keep the offense coming against the Wild, who have allowed one or fewer goals in three of their last four games. Daily Faceoff is already confirming that’ll be up to goaltender Filip Gustavsson to stop Toronto’s attack after Marc-Andre Fleury recorded the shutout last night.

The Swedish netminder has played well lately, going 4-0-1 in his last five starts with a 1.53 goals-against average and .948 save percentage. He also defeated the Maple Leafs in his only game against them, stopping 30-of-33 shots in a 4-3 win with the Ottawa Senators back in May 2021.

Filip Gustavsson has been a ???? this season.?@mnwild | #mnwild pic.twitter.com/WAYFGcmyw9

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) February 23, 2023

Having said that, Gustavsson has also lost back-to-back road starts with a 3.62 GAA and .887 SV%. That sort of play won’t help his team win when he has the likes of Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitchell Marner and Ryan O’Reilly firing at him all night long.

The Maple Leafs have also scored at least five goals in three of their last four games. For comparison, the Wild haven’t scored five goals since Jan. 7. In other words, Minnesota could be in trouble if Toronto’s offense gets on a role.

The special teams battle will be another good one to watch. When it comes to the power play, the Maple Leafs are 9-of-27 (33.3%) on the man advantage over their last 11 games. While maybe not as good, the Wild’s PP unit is at least clicking at a 25.5% success rate (12-of-47) over the last 15 outings.

As for the penalty kill, both teams have done a good job there as well. While the Wild have killed off 20 straight penalties over the last nine games, the Maple Leafs have gone seven straight outings without allowing a PP goal, killing 16 penalties in the process.

It’s likely going to be a competitive affair tonight, but only one team can walk out the winner.

Wild vs Maple Leafs Prediction and Picks

Wild vs Maple Leafs Prediction: Maple Leafs 3, Wild 2

Wild vs Maple Leafs Picks: Maple Leafs ML (Best Value: -200 at BetOnline) & Under 6 Goals (Best Value: +102 at BetOnline)

As great as the Wild have been lately, the Maple Leafs have the offensive depth to solve their defense and goaltending. Minnesota has also lost three of its last four trips to Toronto, further indicating how tough it is to win at Scotiabank Arena.

And despite how good Toronto’s offense has played, I’m still backing the under on the 6-goal total. Fourteen of the last 19 Wild vs Maple Leafs matchups have finished fewer goals than expected. With six of their last meetings in Toronto seeing fewer than six goals scored, I’m confident that tonight’s contest won’t turn into a high-scoring affair.

Other Minnesota vs Toronto Betting Resources

• Wild vs Maple Leafs Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats