The 2021-22 NHL season continues with a loaded Friday card, so we are taking a closer look at the interconference showdown at SAP Center at San Jose to get you the best Maple Leafs vs. Sharks betting pick and odds. 

Toronto and San Jose will wrap up their two-game regular-season series, and the Sharks outlasted the Maple Leafs 5-3 as huge +200 road underdogs on October 22. This time around, the Sharks are listed as +137 home dogs on MyBookie Sportsbook, while the Maple Leafs are -151 moneyline favorites with a total of 6.0 goals.

The Maple Leafs aim for their sixth straight road victory   

The Toronto Maple Leafs (14-6-1) are coming off an impressive 6-2 victory at the Los Angeles Kings this past Wednesday. It was their second win in a row and seventh in the last eight outings at any location, while the Maple Leafs are undefeated in five consecutive showings on the road.

Six different players found the net for Toronto at Staples Center last Wednesday. The Maple Leafs took 38 shots and won 13 faceoffs more than their rivals (32-19), while defenseman Rasmus Sandin led the way with three assists.

Jack Campbell posted 20 saves against the Kings to improve to 11-4-1 on the season, and he’s expected to patrol the crease against the Sharks. Campbell owns a terrific 1.68 GAA and a .943 save percentage. The Maple Leafs are yielding only 2.24 goals per contest (3rd in the NHL) while scoring 2.71 in a return (tied-22nd).

The Sharks shoot for their third win in a row

The San Jose Sharks (10-8-1) will close down a four-game homestand Friday, searching for their third consecutive victory. After a heavy 4-0 loss to the Washington Capitals, the Sharks have defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 in overtime and the Ottawa Senators 6-3.

Last Wednesday, the Sharks overcame a 3-2 deficit against the Sens, scoring four unanswered goals. Winger Timo Meier led the charge with one goal and a pair of dishes, while James Reimer turned 26 shots aside.

Reimer is now 6-3-1 with a 1.98 GAA and a .936 save percentage on the season, and he should guard the cage Friday against Toronto. The Sharks are surrendering 2.79 goals per contest (14th in the NHL) while tallying 2.74 in a return (21st).

Trends:

Toronto:

  • 12-2 in the last 14 games overall
  • 5-0 in the last five games on the road

San Jose:

  • 2-4 in the last six outings as underdogs

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. San Jose Sharks Pick

We should see a great game, as San Jose will look to slow down the red-hot Maple Leafs and sweep their regular-season series. Back in October, Toronto was in the midst of a four-game losing streak, but the Maple Leafs have improved a lot since then.

Toronto has dropped only two of its previous 14 games at any location. The Maple Leafs’ defense has been impressive during that stretch, so I’m going with Toronto to win this battle.

Pick: Take Toronto Maple Leafs at -151         

The Total:

Only one of Toronto’s last five games has produced more than three goals in total. I’ve mentioned the Maple Leafs’ excellent form on the defensive end, while the Sharks’ blue line has been pretty much hit-or-miss so far this season.

Hereof, I don’t expect to see a proper high-scoring game as we saw in their previous duel in October. Both teams are in the top ten when it comes to penalty killing, while both projected starting goalies have been outstanding thus far.

Pick: Go under 6.0 goals at -116