Sports Betting Overview
The sports fans in Toronto are not betting March Madness games like their counterparts in the United States. What the people in Toronto are much more concerned with is whether or not the Toronto Maple Leafs will be making the NHL playoffs. If the season were to end right now, the Leafs would get the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot because it has one more win in regulation than the Winnipeg Jets. But there is a long line of teams that are chasing Toronto and, unfortunately for the Leafs, the season does not end at this point. But Toronto is showing significant signs of improvement and has gone from being a conference basement dweller last year to a playoff contender this year. Now the question is whether or not the Leafs can seal the deal and make the post-season.
One of the teams chasing Toronto is the Washington Capitals. The price per head sports experts point out that Washington has had several chances in the past few weeks to put together a string of wins and jump into the top eight in the Eastern Conference, but each time the Caps have come up short and have been unable to take advantage of its opportunities. If the goaltending is solid in one game then the offense lets the team down. If the offense is scoring goals then the goaltending in Washington allows the opposition to stay close and eventually win the game. The Capitals have been sticking with a formula for several years now and it looks like it may be time to start over.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Leafs are not doing itself any favors by going 4-5-1 in the last 10 games and dropping into a fragile hold on eighth place in the conference. There are two teams within one point of the Leafs in the standings and one of them is the Winnipeg Jets who are on a three-game winning streak. The other team within striking distance of the Leafs is the Washington Capitals and that is what makes this game so important to both teams. The Leafs are very strong at home with a 16-9-4 record and are very fortunate that this game is being played in Toronto. The Leafs are a weak road team with a 13-15-2 record and can use all of the home ice advantage that it can get right now.
Washington Capitals
For all of its short-comings this season, the Washington Capitals are 19-8-2 at home. Unfortunately for the Capitals, this game is being played in Toronto. The Capitals are 10-16-4 on the road and have not played very well away from Washington, DC in quite a while. It looks like the days of Alex Ovechkin and Bruce Boudreau combining to chase a Stanley Cup dream are over. The Capitals need to start building another winning team and it needs to decide which players from the current roster will stick around.
The Bottom Line
Sportsbook reviews of the Leafs’ and Capitals’ seasons show two teams that cannot win consistently on the road. Even if one or both of these teams makes the playoffs, there is not much chance of either team going very far. But in this game, the Leafs can use home ice to its advantage and pull away a little in the playoff race.
Gambling Advisor blog Free Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs
