What: Chicago Blackhawks at Toronto Maple Leafs NHL Picks And Best Bets
When: Monday, December 2, 2024
There are only three games on a light Monday NHL schedule. We’ve checked the current NHL odds and selected the Chicago Blackhawks 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.
Surprisingly, the Blackhawks have beaten the Maple Leafs in each of their past three meetings. However, they are the away team in this contest, so oddsmakers are still going with the Maple Leafs as heavy -370 home favorites.
 | Puck Line | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Blackhawks | +1.5 (+115) | +285 | O 6.5 (+105) |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | -1.5 (-245) | -370 | U 6.5 (-125) |
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. However, they’ve endured their struggles in head-to-head meetings with the Blackhawks in recent years. Overall, Chicago has gone 6-2-2 over the last 10 games when facing Toronto.
Straight up, the Maple Leafs are 5-1 over the past six games. Toronto is also a solid 16-4 SU in the last 20 games played against Western Conference opponents. As well, Toronto is 10-3 SU through the past 13 clashes with clubs from the Central Division. However, the Leafs are just 3-3 SU in their last six home meetings with the Blackhawks.
While Chicago is 6-3 SU in the past nine games when facing Toronto, overall against all teams the Blackhawks are a dismal 2-6 SU through their past eight games. Chicago is also 1-6 SU in the last seven games against teams from the Eastern Conference and 1-4 SU in the past five meetings with teams from the Atlantic Division.
The over has proven to be a stellar play in recent games between Chicago and Toronto. The Blackhawks and Maple Leafs have gone over in eight of their last 10 games against each other. The over is also 5-1 in the last six games in which Chicago has played at Toronto. In fact, there’s been fewer than seven goals scored just once in the last five Chicago vs Toronto contests.
However, the under has proven more commonplace in recent games involving Chicago. Ten of the last 12 Blackhawks games went under. Each of Chicago’s last six road games have gone under. The over has hit in four of Toronto’s past six games. However, the under is 7-1 in the last eight home games played by the Maple Leafs.
The Leafs are 9-7-1 SU as a betting favorite this season. Toronto is 9-4 at home against the puckline. Chicago is 7-13-1 as the underdog in the betting line. The Blackhawks are 7-7 against the puck line on the road.
This game against the Blackhawks begins a stretch of six of the next eight games for Toronto against the NHL’s have nots, teams currently not holding a playoff position. Four of those games are on home ice at Scotiabank Arena.
Toronto goalie Joseph Woll is riding a five-game winning streak in which he’s stopped 137 of 146 shots. Mitch Marner is leading the Leafs in points (31) and assists (22). Marner has at least two points in eight of Toronto’s past 10 games. He’s on pace for a 112-point campaign.
William Nylander holds forth as the club’s goal-scoring leader with 15. Forward Auston Matthews, who’s led the NHL in goals in three of the past four seasons, was back from injury for Saturday’s win at Tampa Bay.
Sophomore center Connor Bedard is carrying the load for the Blackhawks. He’s topping the team with 14 assists and 19 points. Bedard has two goals and four points over the past three games. Forward Ryan Donato has scored a team-high 10 goals. But only two other players have as many as six goals on this scoring-starved squad.
Defenseman Alec Martinez was minus-four in Saturday’s 6-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Despite a 1-4-1 record, backup goalie Arvid Soderblom shows a solid 2.36 goals-against average and stellar .926 save percentage. Chicago is 29th in the NHL in goals allowed per game (3.08). The Blackhawks are 3-6-1 SU in their last 10 games. Chicago scored three times on the power play in the loss to Columbus.
The 14-7-2 Maple Leafs are well ahead of the 7-13-1 Blackhawks in the overall NHL standings. But that hasn’t mattered when the two clubs have clashed in recent seasons. So why should this game be any different?
Well, for starters, the Leafs are rolling, with three straight home wins, while the Blackhawks are reeling. They have lost five in a row on the road. Chicago is also 30th in the NHL in goals scored per game (2.50). Meanwhile, Toronto is allowing just 2.61 goals against per game. Take the Maple Leafs over the Blackhawks in the Monday NHL picks.
