Columbus Blue Jackets at Toronto Maple Leafs - 8/2/20 NHL Picks and Prediction
Photo by John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Columbus Blue Jackets (33-22-15) at Toronto Maple Leafs (36-25-9)
NHL Hockey: Sunday, August 2, 2020 at 8:00 pm (Scotiabank Arena)
The Line: Toronto Maple Leafs -126 / Columbus Blue Jackets +105 --- Over/Under: 7.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs meet Sunday in game one of the NHL East Qualifying action at the Scotiabank Arena.
The Columbus Blue Jackets entered the break losing 12 of their last 15 games. The Columbus Blue Jackets are averaging 2.6 goals per game and are scoring on 16.4 percent of their power play opportunities. Oliver Bjorkstrand leads Columbus with 21 goals, Pierre-Luc Dubois has 31 assists and Seth Jones has 126 shots on goal. Defensively, the Columbus Blue Jackets are allowing 2.6 goals per game and are killing 81.7 percent of their opponents power plays. Joonas Korpisalo has given up 92 goals on 1,030 shots faced and Elvis Merzlikins has allowed 71 goals on 919 shots.
The Toronto Maple Leafs entered the NHL break splitting their last 14 games. The Toronto Maple Leafs are averaging 3.4 goals per game and are scoring on 23.1 percent of their power play opportunities. Auston Matthews leads Toronto with 47 goals, Mitch Marner has 51 assists and Morgan Rielly has 123 shots on goal. Defensively, the Toronto Maple Leafs are allowing 3.2 goals per game and are killing 77.7 percent of their opponents power plays. Frederik Andersen has given up 143 goals on 1,577 shots faced and Jack Campbell has allowed 16 goals on 189 shots.
The Blue Jackets are 1-7 in their last 8 games as an underdog, 4-1 in their last 5 Sunday games and 3-12 in their last 15 overall. The Maple Leafs are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference, 19-7 in their last 26 games playing on 3 or more days rest and 0-6 in their last 6 Sunday games. The under is 4-1 in Blue Jackets last 5 overall. The under is 4-1 in Maple Leafs last 5 overall. The favorite is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
The Columbus Blue Jackets were falling apart before our eyes the last time we saw them and they were even worse in the underdog role. The Toronto Maple Leafs are a team that runs hot and cold, but they're deadly offensively and that could be key as these teams fight to get their feet under them and find a rhythm. Unless the Blue Jackets improve their play drastically from the last time we saw them, the Maple Leafs could make light work of this series.
I'll lay the cheap price.
Randy’s Pick Toronto Maple Leafs -126
AUTHOR: Randy Chambers
Mitch's Take...
