What: Nashville Predators at Toronto Maple Leafs NHL Picks And Best Bets
When: Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Following a slow start to the NHL season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have turned around their fortunes. The same can’t be said for the Nashville Predators.
The Maple Leafs have won two in a row and nine of their last 11 games. Meanwhile, the Predators are arriving in Toronto in the midst of a four-game losing skid. Not surprisingly then, it’s the Maple Leafs who are set by oddsmakers as -166 home favorites in this game.
 | Puck Line | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville Predators | +1.5 (-180) | +148 | O 6 (-101) |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | -1.5 (+160) | -166 | U 6 (-115) |
There are only four games on a quiet Wednesday NHL schedule. We’ve checked the current NHL odds and selected the Nashville Predators vs the Toronto Maple Leafs as the best bet worth taking in the NHL picks. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s jump right into our betting prediction.
When checking the NHL betting lines at any of the leading Vegas sports betting sites, you’ll find that the Maple Leafs are a top contender in the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup odds. Toronto has won three of the past four meetings with the Predators. The Maple Leafs are also 3-0 in the last three games against Nashville played at Scotiabank Arena.
The Predators are 2-5 straight up in their last seven games against the Maple Leafs. Not only has Nashville lost three in a row at Toronto, the Predators were shutout in two of those losses. In the other setback, they managed to score one goal.
The more you dive into the numbers, the worse it seems to get for Nashville. The Predators are 1-5 in their last six games. They’ve lost nine of their last 10 games on the road. Nashville is also 0-6 SU in the club’s last six meetings with Eastern Conference opposition.
The Maple Leafs are 6-1 SU over their past seven games. Toronto is 16-4 SU over the past 20 games against Western Conference opponents and 11-3 through the last 14 games facing teams from the Central Division.
The under has hit in each of the past four games between Nashville and Toronto. As well, each of the last five games between the two teams played at Toronto went under. Eight of the last 10 games played by the Predators against teams from the Eastern Conference also cashed on the under. On the road, Nasvhille is 3-9 on the total.
The under is 8-4 in Toronto’s last 12 games. Going with the under has also proven to be the winning wager in eight of the last nine home games played by the Maple Leafs. At Scotiabank Arena, Toronto is 3-10-1 on the total.
The Maple Leafs are 10-7-1 SU as a betting favorite and 10-4 against the puck line on home ice. Nashville is a dismal 0-9-4 SU as the underdog in the betting line. The Predators are 6-6 against the puck line as a road team.
The was so much optimsim in Music City about the Predators entering the 2024-25 NHL season. Offseason free-agent additions Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei had oddsmakers viewing Nashville as a legitimate contender in the Stanley Cup odds.
Reality is painting a much bleaker picture. Nashville is 7-12-6 overall this season, including a 2-6-4 road record. The Predators are 2-2-6 in one-goal games. They are 2-3-5 over the last 10 games, scoring an average of just 2.1 goals over that span.
Defenseman Roman Josi has 5-8-13 totals through the past 11 games. The Predators lead the NHL in hits (377) and are the NHL’s top penalty-killing team (89%).
It’s hard to find flaws in the Toronto gameplan at the moment. Over the past 10 games, the Maple Leafs are 8-2. They are averaging 3.1 goals per game, while allowing 2.1 goals per game. That’s important, because Toronto is 15-0-1 when scoring at least three goals.
Overall, the Maple Leafs are 15-7-2. That includes an 11-3-0 mark on home ice. Individually, William Nylander is leading the club with 15-11-26 totals. Forward Mitch Marner has put up 7-10-17 numbers over the past 10 games.
Toronto tends to get ahead in games and stay in front. The Maple Leafs are 10-1-1 when scoring the first goal of the game and 12-0-0 when carrying a lead into the third period. They are also getting healthy. Captain Auston Matthews is back in the lineup. The Leafs are also buying into new coach Craig Berube’s defensive system.
Starting a four-game Canadian road trip, there’s a sense that it has to go well or Predators coach Andrew Brunette might be losing his job. Something certainly has to change for a team that was supposed to be a Cup contender but instead is 30th overall in the NHL standings. A turnaround won’t be happening here, though. Toronto traditionally has Nashville’s number and that will continue to be the case. Take the Maple Leafs in the Wednesday NHL picks.
