Columbus Blue Jackets vs Toronto Maple Leafs prediction 12-29-23 NHL Picks

The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Columbus Blue Jackets meet in NHL action from the Nationwide Arena on Friday night, who comes out on top? Let’s dive in and find out with our Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets Prediction.

Toronto Maple Leafs Team Preview

The Toronto Maple Leafs come into this one looking to bounce back from a 4-2 loss at the hands of the Ottawa Senators in their last matchup. William Nylander leads the Leafs in points with 46 points this season including 16 goals and a team-high 30 assists while Auston Matthews has 42 points with a team-high 28 goals. Mitch Marner has 36 points with 23 assists while John Tavares has 30 points with 10 goals and 20 assists this season. Joseph Woll has posted a 8-5-1 record with a 2.80 GAA and a .916 save percentage while Ilya Samsonov is 5-2-5 with a 3.79 GAA and an .871 save percentage between the pipes for Toronto this season. Martin Jones is also 4-2 with a 2.85 GAA and a .914 save percentage as well this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Team Facts

• The Maple Leafs have won seven of their last eight games against the Blue Jackets following a loss.
• The Maple Leafs have failed to cover the puck line in 13 of their last 14 games as favorites against opponents on a losing streak.
• The favorites have won the first period in each of the Maple Leafs’ last eight games at Nationwide Arena.
• The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Maple Leafs’ last 12 games.

Columbus Blue Jackets Team Preview

The Columbus Blue Jackets come into this game looking to rebound from a 4-3 OT loss to New Jersey in their last matchup. Zach Werenski leads the Blue Jackets in scoring with 25 points including a team-high 24 assists while Johnny Gaudreau has 22 points with 16 assists. Kirill Marchenko has 21 points with a team-high 13 goals and Adam Fantilli has 21 points with 9 goals and 12 assists. Ivan Provorov has 19 points with 17 assists and Boone Jenner has 18 points with 13 goals of his own. Elvis Merzlikins has gone 7-8-6 in goal for Columbus with a 3.20 GAA and a .907 save percentage while Spencer Martin is 2-7-1 with a 3.57 GAA and a .892 save percentage this season. The Blue Jackets will face the Sabres, Bruins, and Flyers after this game.

Columbus Blue Jackets Team Facts

• The Blue Jackets have lost each of their last nine games after coming off overtime.
• The Blue Jackets have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last seven home games after coming off overtime.
• The favorites have won the first period in each of the last eight games between the Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.
• The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3’ market has hit in 12 of the last 13 games between the Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Columbus Blue Jackets rank 31st in the league for goals against per game this season (3.64).
• The Columbus Blue Jackets rank 25th in the league in power play percentage this season (14.85%).
• The Toronto Maple Leafs rank T3rd in the league for goals per game this season (3.53).
• The Toronto Maple Leafs rank 7th in the league in power play percentage this season (25.53%).

Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets Prediction

I’m rocking with the over in this game. The last meeting finished 4-1 in favor of Toronto, but I’m not all that eager to be laying any sort of juice with Toronto or backing the Leafs who have been shaky for sure as of late, but Columbus hasn’t been much of a safe option either as of late. Two questionable goaltending situations here, makes the most sense for me to expect some goals here. Give me the over.