Toronto Maple Leafs (46-26-10) vs. Boston Bruins (47-20-15)
As the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs heat up, the Toronto Maple Leafs face off against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on April 20, 2024. The Maple Leafs, trailing in recent form with a series of losses, are looking to turn their fortunes around in this crucial matchup. With live betting, the dynamics could change as the game progresses, making it an intriguing prospect for bettors and fans alike. Both teams, not far apart in the standings, aim to leverage this playoff game to advance their championship aspirations.
The Maple Leafs’ offense, of which Auston Matthews was credited with leading, managed to score as many as 69 goals during the season which is a huge challenge for the Bruins’ defense. Matthews’s consistent scoring, supported by William Nylander and Mitch Marner weighing game, makes the Toronto team unstoppable in attack. Nevertheless, they play against a Bruins’ team that has a strong defense with exceptional goaltending on the back of Jeremy Swayman, which could negatively affect their top scorers and their productivity on ice.
On the other side of the coin, the Bruins possess a talented crew themselves, which revolves on the offensive side around David Pastrnak, who scored 110 points this year, 47 of them were goals. Pastrnak’s line, which also contains Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle, is the opponent’s biggest defensive challenge. Being a primary goaltender of Toronto, Ilya Samsonov with 3.13 goals against average during offensive season, must perform notably better than he has done to date to challenge Boston’s attacking frontline.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins Game Info
| When: | Saturday, April 20, 2024 at 8:00 PM ET |
| Where: | TD Garden |
| TV: | TBS |
| Stream: | NHL.TV |
Goaltender Ilya Samsonov vs. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman
Ilya Samsonov‘s season has been challenging, there were 23 wins and 15 non victories, the save percentage is 0,89 and there are difficulties in leadership. The Bruins offense will put him through a pretty tough test, because his performance in the game will greatly affect the outcome of the matchup, depending on this.
On the other side, Jeremy Swayman this season has had a more stable performance. With a 2.53 goals against average and a 0.916 save percentage, he has proven very trustworthy for the Bruins goalkeeping situation. Holding his nerves in crucial playoff situations is a task that will play a crucial role in the circumstances when he has to face a semi-freed game of the Reds.
NHL Odds/Point Spread: Boston Bruins -132, Total Odds: 5.5
The current betting odds slightly favor the Bruins at -132 on the moneyline, reflecting their slightly better season record and home advantage. The over/under is set at 5.5, with trends suggesting a tight game could be expected.
Toronto Maple Leafs Betting Trends
Toronto’s recent performance is disheartening, with them being on 0-5 losing skids in their last five matches. Their road performance against the spread (A And A-) is another unreliable factor. However, given that they were pushed UNDER in none of their latest 5 games, betting progress seems to be warning people to look at Toronto from the low side of the total points.
Boston Bruins Betting Trends
The Bruins are facing hard times lately with their only victory in the last five games. However, they are slightly better in their spread (2-3). They’ve been able to put up strong tallies on the road, and that could bode well for them in the playoffs.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins 4/20/24 Betting Picks
In light of this formation and statistical analysis, given the defensive impenetrability of the Bruins and the home field advantage, it seems the Bruins are making the safer bet in this game. Boston’s lack of consistency, especially in goaltending, can be their primary problem, against an offensively good Toronto team.
As for the Stanley Cup free picks today, bettors might find value in backing the Bruins to cover the spread and considering the UNDER on the total points, given both teams’ recent difficulties in exceeding scoring expectations. A tight, defensively focused game could be on the cards.
