by Rod Pearson
Monday, Dec 18, 2023
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Venue: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Rangers +100, Leafs -120; Over/Under: 6.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Rangers +100, Leafs -120; Over/Under: 6.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Rangers +100, Leafs -120; Over/Under: 6.5 goals
Season Record
New York Rangers: 21-7-1 (1st place, Metropolitan Division)
Toronto Maple Leafs: 16-6-6 (2nd place, Atlantic Division)
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Recent Form
New York Rangers: 6-4-0 last 10
Toronto Maple Leafs: 6-1-3 last 10
New York Rangers vs Toronto Maple Leafs Preview and Analysis
The Rangers are entering this game with 43 points, a 21-7-1 record overall, and they are 11-4-1 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Boston Bruins in their last game, winning that one on the road 2-1 in overtime. Vincent Trocheck scored 2 goals for them in that game. Adam Fox, Erik Gustafsson, Artemi Panarin, and Mika Zibanejad each led the team in assists with 1 while Artemi Panarin led the team in shots on net in that game with 10. Igor Shesterkin was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 1 goal on 22 shots with 21 saves and a .955 save percentage. Their offense has scored 96 goals this season averaging 3.3 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 80 goals against them allowing 2.8 goals per game.
The Maple Leafs are entering this game with 38 points, a 16-6-6 record overall, and they are 9-4-2 in their home games this regular season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Pittsburgh Penguins in their last game, winning that one at home 7-0. Max Domi, Matthew Knies, Mitchell Marner, William Nylander, Noah Gregor, Bobby McMann, and John Tavares scored 1 goal for them in that game. Tyler Bertuzzi led the team in assists with 3 while John Tavares led the team in shots on net in that game with 9. Martin Jones was the starting goalie in that game and he recorded the shutout as he allowed 0 goals on 38 shots with 38 saves and a 1.000 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 106 goals this season averaging 3.8 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 90 goals against them allowing 3.2 goals per game.
Rangers vs Maple Leafs Prediction
The current betting odds have the Rangers listed as a slight underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Rangers have looked great in their games this season with their 21-7-1 record overall which has them right at the top of their division at the moment. They have looked great in their road games too with their 11-4-1 road record. Meanwhile, the Leafs have also looked good in their games this season with their 16-6-6 record overall which has them near the top of their division. They are also 9-4-2 in their home games this season and have looked great in their games lately with a 7-0 win over the Pens in their last one, but they also beat this Rangers team the other week in New York so the Rangers will be looking to get some revenge in this game. The Rangers have also looked good in their games lately and will have some momentum from their tight win over the Bruins on the road the other night. Both of these teams are original 6 teams so the Rangers are going to bring their best effort the way they did against the Bruins in their last game and considering how they were embarrassed on home ice by the Leafs just last week, the Rangers definitely have some extra motivation in this game. The best way to place a bet here is on the Rangers to win this game.
Rangers Maple Leafs Prediction: Our NHL Pick for Tuesday, December 19, 2023 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Rangers 4 Leafs 2.
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NHL Betting Trends
New York Rangers: 131-86 (+17.7 units) on the moneyline in all games. 39-24 (+10.6 units) on the moneyline off a road win. 7-2 OVER revenging a blowout loss vs opponent of 4 goals or more. 7-4 OVER after a 2 game unbeaten streak.
Toronto Maple Leafs: 128-81 (-20.9 units) on the moneyline in all games. 37-31 (-23.1 units) on the moneyline off a home win. 11-4 OVER after one or more consecutive overs. 16-6 OVER after scoring 4 goals or more in 3 straight games.
Key Injuries
New York Rangers: K. Kakko (RW) Out indefinitely - Lower Body. F. Chytil (C) Out indefinitely - Upper Body.
Toronto Maple Leafs: A. Matthews (C) Ques Tues - Illness. R. Reaves (RW) Out indefinitely - Leg. T. Brodie (D) Ques Tues - Illness. J. Woll (G) Out indefinitely - Ankle. J. Klingberg (D) out for season - Hip. M. Giordano (D) Out indefinitely - Finger. M. Murray (G) out for season - Hip. J. Muzzin (D) out for season - Spine.
Notable Quotes
“It was a really good hockey game. Give our guys a lot of credit for just staying with it. We're attacking and attacking and it's just not going in. We just can't seem to find that first one. We eventually got one, got it to overtime and walked away with two points.” - Peter Laviolette after his team’s win against the Bruins in their game on Saturday.
“It was a pretty impressive game from top to bottom for us. They are a high-volume shot team. They throw a lot of pucks on net. But there weren’t a lot of dangerous situations.” - Martin Jones after their win against the Penguins in their game on Saturday.
Starting Lineups
New York Rangers
LW Kreider, Chris
C Zibanejad, Mika
RW Wheeler, Blake
LD Lindgren, Ryan
RD Fox, Adam
G Shesterkin, Igor
Toronto Maple Leafs
LW Knies, Matthew
C Matthews, Auston
RW Nylander, William
LD Rielly, Morgan
RD Benoit, Simon
G Jones, Martin
Statistical Leaders
New York Rangers
Points: A. Panarin (42)
Goals: A. Panarin (16)
Assists: A. Panarin (26)
GAA: J. Quick (2.09)
Toronto Maple Leafs
Points: W. Nylander (40)
Goals: A. Matthews (23)
Assists: W. Nylander (25)
GAA: M. Jones (1.85)
Coaches:
New York Rangers: Peter Laviolette (1st season)
Toronto Maple Leafs: Sheldon Keefe (5th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
