Free Picks: Edmonton Oilers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Patrick Trudeau
By:
Patrick Trudeau
01/21/2021
NHL Free Picks – Best Bets of the Week
NHL Edmonton Oilers vs Toronto Maple Leafs
Edmonton Oilers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, NHL, Scotiabank Arena

If you scan over the roster for both Edmonton and Toronto, you can easily identify elite goal scorers on both teams. Two of the highest-scoring offenses in the early going of the NHL season go head-to-head in what should be a game filled with goals. From McDavid and Draisaitl to Matthews and Marner, these two Canadian clubs come stacked with offensive talent.

Goals, goals everywhere

When I see the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers squaring off against one another, I think of one thing: goals.

Between the two teams, several elite goal scorers have had no trouble finding the back of the net this season. I am banking on this trend continuing when the Maple Leafs play host to the Oilers.

Mitch Marner and John Tavares are tied for the league lead in points with 6 apiece, while Connor McDavid has tallied 5 points in the early going of this season.

Toronto has scored the most goals in the NHL and are currently scoring 3.50 goals per game. As for the Oilers, Edmonton hasn’t struggled either. Edmonton averages 2.50 goals per game, but are tied for 8th in the league in totals goals scored, which are key stats for my BetPicks prediction.

While both teams are scoring a ton of goals, they are also allowing a fair amount. The Leafs have allowed 12 goals this season, while the Oilers have allowed 15 goals so far. Both teams rank in the bottom 10 for total goals allowed.

When Edmonton took on Montreal over the last two games, they allowed 8 goals while only scoring 1 in each of their two losses. If the Oilers can break through against Toronto, I can see this score hitting the over. Habs netminder Carey Price is better than Frederik Andersen, which means I believe the Oilers will find scoring magic against Toronto.

The Maple Leafs engaged in some rather low scoring affairs against Winnipeg and Ottawa over the past two games. However, when they opened the season against the Sens and Montreal, both games were high scoring affairs.

Toronto is the favorite for NHL game odds, but I am focusing on the total goals in this game.

I think Edmonton’s offense can breakthrough in this contest and Toronto’s offense will roll on the scoreboard, making me confident in this NHL prediction.

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FREE PICK: Total Goals OVER 6.5

Stats

  • Edmonton are 1-7 SU in last 8 against Toronto.
  • The total has gone OVER in 6 of Edmonton’s last 9 games.
  • Toronto are 4-2 SU in last 6 games.
  • The OVER has cashed in 9 of Toronto’s last 11 games on a Wednesday.

have always wanted to be a writer and sports are my favorite thing in the world, so I combined the two to make a career. I have been a long-time gambler and sports betting writer that isn't afraid to look at the underdog or specials. I am covering the NHL, MLB and NCAA Football for BetPicks.ca and am a huge fan of both sports - as well as many others. Follow me on Twitter (@Patrick_Trudeau) so we can talk betting, sports, or why ketchup DOES belong on Poutine.