Best NHL Prop Bets for Red Wings vs. Maple Leafs: Will Auston Matthews Hit 70?
By Nate Duffett
The Detroit Red Wings have a chance to get into a playoff spot if the Red Wings can pull off the upset against the Leafs and the Capitals and Penguins lose their Saturday matchups. It's one of the tighest races we've seen in a long time, with four teams battling for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
However, that won't be the leading story on Hockey Night in Canada. Auston Matthews is two goals away from hitting 70, a feat that only eight other NHLers have accomplished.
The narrative of Matthews being the Greatest Leaf of All Time and possibly one day the greatest scorer of all time is building, and hitting the 70 mark would be one more notch in his belt.
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Best NHL Prop Bets for Red Wings vs. Maple Leafs
- Auston Matthews To Score 2+ Goals
- Max Domi/Tyler Bertuzzi OVER 0.5 Assists
- Dylan Larkin OVER 3.5 Shots on Goal
Auston Matthew To Score 2+ Goals
Hockey Night in Canada - Saturday Night - in Toronto. Name a better stage for Auston Matthews to become the ninth player in NHL history to score 70 goals in a single season.
It's the Maple Leafs' last game in Toronto this season before going down to Florida for two games against Tampa Bay and Florida. Those games won't be easy, and there's no guarantee that Matthews will hit 70 if he doesn't score in tonight's game.
Look for Matthews to score at least one and with the Leafs the favorite in this game, at the very least have the possibility of Matthews being on the ice with all his teammates trying to get him the empty netter for 70. Matthews has shown a flair for the dramatic, and there would be nothing better than hitting 70 on Hockey Night in Canada.
The Red Wings' goalies have a 3.33 goals-against-average and a .890 save percentage over their last five games and have just a 76.2% success rate on the penalty kill over their last ten. The Toronto powerplay has been abysmal over their past ten games, going just 2-for-27.
Most of this may be due to Mitch Marner being out of the lineup, and the Red Wings present a good opportunity to get back on track. If they don't get back on track, it's no big deal for Matthews' chances in this game. Matthews became the first player since Teemu Selanne in 1992-93 to score more than 50 even-strength goals in a single season.
Tyler Bertuzzi OVER 0.5 Assists
Bertuzzi has been hot lately, recording two goals and three assists over his past five games. Bertuzzi was drawing the ire of the hardcore Leafs fans early in the season, but he has slowly turned it around. The second half of the season has been good for Bertuzzi, but he's caught fire since being placed on a line with Matthews and Max Domi.
If Matthews is scoring at even strength in this game, Bertuzzi or Domi should be included in the scoring.
Bertuzzi is the bet in this game considering he has higher odds of recording an assist despite higher offensive upside. Bertuzzi has had some good games against his old team this season, recording a goal and two assists in two games. However, Domi has been no slouch if you want to bet on him to record an assist instead. Domi has 13 assists in 16 games since Marner's injury and four in his last two games.
Dylan Larkin OVER 3.5 Shots On Goal
Larkin is attempting to put the Red Wings on his back and drag them into the playoffs. It won't be easy as they need some help from other teams. However, Larkin will continue playing his best hockey while Detroit still has a chance. Larkin has three goals and four assists through five games in April, but it's his shot numbers that you want to look at for this game.
Larkin has 24 shots in five games, including games with six and seven. He also loves playing against the Maple Leafs, always seeming to step up his game when he gets to play in the center of Canada's hockey world.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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