The 2021-22 NHL season continues Wednesday, January 12, with three games around the league, including the interconference showdown at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. We have prepared the best Maple Leafs vs. Coyotes betting pick and odds, so let’s take a closer look.

According to Bovada Sportsbook, Toronto is a heavy -274 moneyline favorite. Arizona is a +254 home underdog, while the totals sit at 6.0 goals. The Maple Leafs and Coyotes lock horns for the first time in nearly two years, and Toronto aims for its third consecutive victory over Arizona.

Toronto started a five-game road trip on Tuesday 

The Toronto Maple Leafs visited the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night, and their marquee interconference battle has been excluded from this analysis. The Maple Leafs opened a five-game road trip, looking to bounce back from a 5-4 overtime defeat at the Colorado Avalanche. Meanwhile, Toronto had to postpone a home contest against New Jersey due to the Devils’ COVID-19 issues.

Petr Mrazek will patrol the crease at Gila River Arena. He’s 2-1-0 with a 4.13 GAA and a .880 save percentage in 2021-22. Mrazek is slowly building up his form after missing six weeks of action due to a groin injury.

The Maple Leafs are yielding only 2.48 goals per game, enough for the second-fewest in the NHL. On the other side of the ice, they are tallying 3.39 goals per contest (7th in the NHL) on a 10.0 shooting percentage (tied-11th).

The Yotes returned to the losing ways       

The Arizona Coyotes (7-23-3) are coming off a 4-2 home defeat to the Nashville Predators this past Saturday. It was their third loss in the last four outings, as the Yotes failed to grab their second straight victory following a 6-4 home win to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Karel Vejmelka has guarded the cage over the previous three contests. He should get another starting call Wednesday against the Maple Leafs, as Scott Wedgewood entered the medical protocols a couple of days ago.

Vejmelka is 3-13-1 with a 3.30 GAA and a .904 save percentage in 2021-22. The Coyotes own the highest-scoring defense in the league, surrendering a whopping 3.79 goals per contest. They are scoring 2.18 goals in a return (31st in the NHL) on an 8.1 shooting percentage (tied-27th).

Trends:

Toronto:

  • 15-5 in the last 20 games overall
  • 9-2 in the last 11 outings as favorites   

Arizona:

  • 2-9 in the last 11 games overall 
  • 1-8 in the last nine games at home 

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Arizona Coyotes Pick

The Maple Leafs shouldn’t have any problems outlasting the lowly Coyotes even though Toronto will play on the second day of a back-to-back set, coming off a tough matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Toronto is one of the best offensive teams in the league, and I’ve mentioned how bad Arizona’s defense has been so far this season. The Coyotes have allowed four or more goals in four of their previous five outings. Their penalty-killing percentage is the fourth-worst in the league (72.2%), while the Maple Leafs boast the best power-play percentage in the NHL (30.8%).

Pick: Take Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 at -114          

The Total:

We have seen at least six goals in each of Toronto’s last 11 showings at any location, excluding their Tuesday night’s game in Las Vegas. Seven of those 11 tilts have produced seven or more goals in total, so I have to with the over in this one.

Four of Arizona’s last five contests have gone over the total, producing six or more goals in total each. During that five-game stretch, the Yotes have managed to score 21 goals, so I hope they’ll continue with a solid offensive performance.

Pick: Go over 6.0 goals at -110