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Predators vs. Maple Leafs Prediction, Picks & Best Bets for Tonight's NHL Game

Gary Pearson

Last Updated: December 4, 2024 8:43 AM EST • 2 min 45 sec read.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews scores on Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom as we offer our Predators vs. Maple Leafs prediction.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews scores on Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom. Photo by John E. Sokolowski via Imagn Images

There's no escaping the fact that the Nashville Predators are one of the NHL's worst teams. They stink up most barns so badly that fumigation is the only viable solution to alleviate the putrid odor. 

Only the Chicago Blackhawks have fewer points than Nashville entering Wednesday's game at Scotiabank Arena against the Toronto Maple Leafs (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+), the most sizzling-hot team among the Stanley Cup odds front-runners.    

Toronto has won eight of its last nine on home ice, and Nashville has tasted defeat in eight of the last 10, five of which in overtime.

Our Predators vs. Maple Leafs prediction acknowledges that there isn't much value in backing the home team on the moneyline, so we turn to the Over/Under instead. 

Predators vs. Maple Leafs prediction

Odds via our best NHL betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.

My best bet: Under 5.5 goals ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: | Implied probability: 50%

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Backing the Maple Leafs to win in regulation offers +100 odds, representing solid value for a contest that is so lopsided on paper.

However, I'm veering away from it due to Nashville's ability to keep things close. The Predators forced overtime in each of the last three games and four of 12 on the road. 

Both teams are Under specialists 

Toronto is the foremost Under expert on home ice, thanks primarily to exquisite goaltending and Craig Berube's inarguable impact on the collective's willingness to do everything necessary to support Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz.

Eight of their last nine home games had five goals or fewer, and the lone exception —a 4-3 overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers—was less than two minutes away from the same fate. 

Berube's squad hasn't allowed more than three goals in nine straight at Scotiabank Arena, allowing the fewest goals per game (1.33) in that stretch.

And they're playing a Predators team that, despite losing more than a business unwilling to modernize, hasn't conceded more than three goals in 10 of their previous 11 tilts.  

Like the Maple Leafs, they go Under more than a diver training for the Olympics.

Nine of their last 11 games had five goals or fewer, creating an almost-too-perfect Under scenario for tonight's game. Oh, and I almost neglected to mention the Preds are tied with the Blackhawks for the fewest goals per game in enemy rinks in the last nine (1.89). 

See what I mean about a script tailor-fit for an Under? A winning $10 bet will profit $10. 

Predators vs. Maple Leafs player prop bet

NHL picks made Wednesday; odds subject to change.

Auston Matthews prop bet: Over 4.5 shots ⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +130 via Betway | Implied probability: 43.48%

The last time Auston Matthews hit the Over on this prop was on Oct. 28 against the Winnipeg Jets. That's five games plus almost four weeks on the treatment table without firing at least five on goal.

It's only a matter of time before Matthews has one of his customary shots-galore games, and I feel the Predators offer an idyll environment. 

They allow the sixth-most shots against per game on the road (32.1), and Matthews has two games under his belt since returning from injury, the last of which he mustered three shots and a goal. The +130 odds add some extra allure. 

Predators vs. Maple Leafs live odds & info

  • When: Wednesday, Dec. 4
  • Puck drop: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Where: Scotiabank Arena (Toronto)
  • How to watch: ESPN+
  • Favorite: Maple Leafs (-160 via Betway)

Here are our best NHL betting sites:

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Written By:
Gary Pearson
Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.