Blue Jackets vs Maple Leafs Picks & Props

John Tavares leads the Toronto Maple Leafs with 11 goals and has 25 points through the first 20 games of the year. He’s also second on the team in shots on goal, averaging 3.0 shots per game. His posted total for tonight is set at 2.5 shots. It’s a number he’s cleared three games in a row and in 10 of his last 12 games. The Columbus Blue Jackets allow high shot volumes quite regularly. They allow 31.5 shots per game, ranking 31st in the NHL. So it only makes sense to attack the Leafs shot prop market tonight, and Tavares has been the most consistent shooter in the Leafs lineup. 

This is the perfect spot for Marchenko’s shot volume to correct itself. He’s converted his 40 attempts into just 10 shots (25%) across the past six games and only recorded three or more once. With the Maple Leafs allowed the fifth-most shots per game (31.1) and ranking 26th in Corsi For percentage at five-on-five this matchup should help the statistical correction to cash in. Marchenko converted 54.3% of his attempts into shots for 51 total across the first 14 games of the year, after all.

Eh, why not? The Maple Leafs beat the Blues with an AHL lineup, but perhaps that's the kind of spark they need to turn their season around. They owe the Jackets a beating of their own after losing 6-3 back on October 29. This is a short price and one I'm comfortable playing.