Hurricanes vs Maple Leafs Pick – NHL Predictions & Odds 3/25/23

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes meet Saturday in NHL action at the PNC Arena. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are averaging 3.4 goals per game and are scoring on 25.7 percent of their power play opportunities. William Nylander leads Toronto with 36 goals, Mitchell Marner has 64 assists and Auston Matthews has 270 shots on goal. Defensively, the Toronto Maple Leafs are allowing 2.7 goals per game and are killing 80.8 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Matt Murray has given up 68 goals on 727 shots faced, and Ilya Samsonov has allowed 87 goals on 1,008 shots.

The Carolina Hurricanes are averaging 3.3 goals per game and are scoring on 21.2 percent of their power play opportunities. Sebastian Aho leads Carolina with 31 goals, Brent Burns has 41 assists and Andrei Svechnikov has 205 shots on goal. Defensively, the Carolina Hurricanes are allowing 2.6 goals per game and are killing 83.6 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Frederik Andersen has allowed 66 goal on 679 shots faced, and Antti Raanta has allowed 51 goals on 551 shots.

The Maple Leafs are 35-17 in their last 52 vs. Metropolitan and 6-2 in their last 8 vs. Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes are 49-19 in their last 68 home games and 36-15 in their last 51 overall. The over is 4-0 in Maple Leafs last 4 overall. The under is 7-1-1 in Hurricanes last 9 home games. The Maple Leafs are 6-2 in the last 8 meetings in Carolina and 4-0 in the last 4 meetings. The home team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

You can make a case for either side here, and the Carolina Hurricanes should be favored because they’ve been a buzz saw at home dating back to last season. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs have had the upper hand over the Canes in recent meetings, and they’re too good and too consistent to turn down in the underdog role. The Maple Leafs are a club I’ve backed a lot this year. Give me the plus money.