A big-time Saturday night showdown will take place on the ice in the state of hockey as the red-hot Maple Leafs will take on the equally streaking Minnesota Wild. These are very clearly two of the hottest teams right now, and it should make for a fascinating encounter.
Minnesota have won five straight contests, like Toronto has. The Wild have combined a red-hot attack with a stingy defense. It also helps that they’re again getting excellent goaltending from Cam Talbot between the pipes. They sit atop the Central division, and with a record of 16-6-1, this is a group that is starting to turn some heads. While nobody was overly down on them coming into the season, seeing this much success has certainly been a tad surprising!
Toronto meanwhile has also shaken off the early season blues and are playing their best hockey of the season. For the first time in franchise history, the Buds have won 15 of their past 17 games, outsourcing their opponents by a score of 61-29 during that stretch. Sheldon Keefe has found some line combos and defensive pairings that can work, and the Leafs will be looking to continue their impressive stretch in Minnesota. They’ll be looking to once again to take sole possession of the top spot in hockey, and with Jack Campbell between the pipes, they’ve got a great shot.
With both teams definitely pushing for the divisional title, expect some high skill and intensity despite the fact that these squads don’t match up against each other all that often. The Leafs also boast a couple of local Minnesota talents, and that should make Saturday’s showdown all the more intriguing.
For added insight, betting news, trends and analysis – keep on reading beneath the current odds as we look to improve our stellar hockey record with another winning wager. Enjoy this matchup, folks!
Evason on Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello (7 points, 16 shots, 24 attempted): “The looks they had were incredible."
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) December 3, 2021
Minnesota Wild vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Live Odds & Betting History
*These odds are provided by BetOnline.ag
| TEAM DATA | WILD | LEAFS |
| Overall Record | 16-6-1 | 17-5-1 |
| ATS Record | 12-11-0 | 10-14-0 |
| Home/Away Record | 9-2-0 | 7-3-0 |
| Goals Per Game | 3.7 | 3.1 |
| Goals Against Per Game | 2.9 | 2.2 |
| Shots On Goal Per Game | 33.9 | 34.1 |
| Shooting % | 11.0 | 9.1 |
Minnesota Wild vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Prediction
Minnesota surprisingly has been riding impressive shooting rates to a red-hot offense. This wasn’t really a main feature of their team from previous seasons, but added depth and the emergence of Kirill Kaprizov has helped their lineup.
But Saturday sees them go against a stingy and road-proficient group from Toronto. The Leafs are a real juggernaut right now, and aren’t conceding many chances against. When they do, goaltender Jack Campbell has been elite between the pipes. And though the Leafs are dealing with rumoured injuries to both Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner, that duo is both expected to play Saturday night.
While Minnesota will surely see this as somewhat of a ‘measuring stick’ matchup, the Leafs have been tested all through November, and have passed with flying colours. This group is coming off of a dominant 8-3 showing against Colorado, and given the fact that Toronto possesses far more game-breaking talent, and as a group sit top-10 in virtually every metric, the Leafs are the rightful favourites.
The Wild have been playing well, though much of what they’ve accomplished seems unsustainable. They’ve also yet to be burned playing without their captain and defensive leader, Jared Spurgeon. But against a skilled team like the Leafs, losing a defenseman of that calibre will come back to burn Minnesota.
Expect the Leafs’ skill to again win out on Saturday. This is a comfortable group at the moment, and Toronto should be able to stifle Minnesota’s offense, and secure victory with their high-end talent. Expect a big game from Toronto’s top guns.
Auston Matthews scored with an INCREDIBLE move ? pic.twitter.com/aaHJ6MGMeb
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 2, 2021
Leafs vs. Wild Trends To Know:
- Maple Leafs are 7-0 in their last 7 games as a road favorite.
- Maple Leafs are 6-0 in their last 6 vs. Western Conference.
- Wild are 2-5 in their last 7 vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Maple Leafs are 5-1 in their last 6 vs. Central.
The trends and personnel point to Toronto. And while the Wild are playing well, especially at home – you get the sense that the bubble is bound to burst against a talented group that is battering the opposition right now. The talent gap here is large, and the Leafs are good value as short road favourites.
