This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Bets Today: Expert NHL Picks and Props for Maple Leafs vs. Kings
The Toronto Maple Leafs (17-10-7) open a three-game California road trip against the Los Angeles Kings (20-8-5) on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ESPN+/hulu.
The Maple Leafs had an interesting time over the New Year's weekend, dropping the hammer on Ilya Samsonov. He posted a 3.94 GAA and .862 save percentage, and it was time for him to go. He was placed on waivers, so it's now perfect time for Martin Jones (4-3-0, 2.73 GAA, .915 SV%, 1 SO) to face his former team, especially with Joseph Woll still nursing an ankle injury.
The Leafs hated Samsonov's play so much that they're rolling with the journeyman Jones and Dennis Hildeby, who was recalled from the AHL's Toronto Marlies, to hold down the fort. Expect the Leafs to grab someone at the trade deadline, if not earlier, via trade.
Anyway, Toronto is coming off a 3-2 home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night at home as the Under (6.5) connected. The Leafs are in freefall, pun totally intended, going 1-4-1 in the past six games overall.
These teams faced each other back on Halloween, as the Kings came away with a 4-1 victory, as Cam Talbot and the visitors easily topped Woll and the Leafs at Scotiabank Arena in T-Dot. Andreas Englund opened the scoring, while Phillip Danault added a goal, to make it 2-0 heading to the room after 20 minutes. Arthur Kaliyev notched a power-play goal midway through the second, and it wasn't until John Tavares hit on the power play to slice the lead to 3-1. Adrian Kempe capped off the scoring, while Talbot kicked aside 29 of the 30 shots he faced.
Talbot allowed two goals on 26 shots in Saturday's loss in a shootout against the Oilers, finishing the month of December with a 4-3-2 record, 2.22 GAA and .917 SV% with a shutout on Dec. 7 in Montreal.
The Kings have lost a pair of 3-2 games to the Golden Knights in Las Vegas, and the Oilers at home. Los Angeles has dropped three in a row just one time before this season, an 0-2-1 run from Dec. 9-13. The Leafs are a little bit of a mess right now, and facing an air-tight goalie like Talbot won't get this offense jump-started.
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NHL Money Line Bets for Maple Leafs vs. Kings
- Kings ML (-135 at BetMGM)
The Kings have cashed the Under in three in a row, and six of the past seven games overall. It's been a combination of timely offense and lockdown defense and goaltending, which has L.A. near the top of the standings in the Western Conference.
The Kings have scored 3.5 goals per game (GPG) to rank 4th in the NHL, while taking the most shots on goal (SOG) with 34.2 per game. Defensively, L.A. is 1st in goals against (2.3) and penalty-kill percentage (87.0%), while ranking 2nd in SOG against (26.7).
The Maple Leafs have cashed the Under in three of the past four games, with the offense averaging 3.0 GPG in the past three outings. The total has gone high in five of the past six games against Western Conference teams dating back to Oct. 31, although the Under cashed in that game against the Kings.
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NHL Totals Bets for Maple Leafs vs. Kings
- Under 6.5 (-105 at FanDuel)
NHL Player Props for Maple Leafs vs. Kings
Looking to the player props, we have one solid option on each side of the ice.
Be sure to bookmark our NHL player props page to find the best prices on your favorite wagers each day of the season. RotoWire has just launched a new props section so make sure to check out our Best NHL props tool to help you make your best betting decisions.
For the home side, Kings defenseman Quinton Byfield notched a pair of assists in the first meeting with the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Oct. 31. Byfield picked up a helper in Saturday's 3-2 SOL to the Oilers, and he ended up with six goals and 10 points in 13 games in December. He is a solid bet to notch at least one point against the leaky Leafs D and tendies.
- Quinton Byfield Over 0.5 Points (-110 at BetMGM)
Looking to the visitors, William Nylander was certainly doing his part to keep the Leafs afloat, posting five goals and 20 points on 52 SOG in 13 games in the month of December, including a goal and six points on the man advantage. As such, Nylander is a good bet to notch at least one point on the man advantage, as that's likely Toronto's best path to getting on the board and beating Talbot.
- William Nylander Over 0.5 Power-Play Points (+160 at BetMGM)
