Red Wings at Maple Leafs NHL Betting Preview

Detroit surrendered first place in the Atlantic Division not because of poor play rather due to the scorching hot Lightning. The Red Wings are only 2 points behind entering the week having won 7 of 10 games. And both clubs are trying to stay ahead of Toronto in the Eastern Conference standings.

Toronto has also been on a roll going 7-1-2 in its last 10 games to creep up the standings. Included in that run was a 4-3 OT win over the NHL best Avalanche, part of a 2-1-1 road trip that put the Leafs just 6 points behind Detroit.

Red Wings at Maple Leafs Preview

The Original Six matchup between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs takes place on Wednesday, January 21, 2026 from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m. ET with the game airing live on TNT.

Public Betting Odds Factors

The Red Wings have been consistently good all season allowing them to maintain a top 3 in the Atlantic standings. They had gone 2 months without losing 2 straight until earlier this month with losses to Pittsburgh, one of them in OT. The Wings haven’t lost 2 in a row in regulation since the end of November.

After getting blanked for the third time this season the Wings responded with a 4-2 win over San Jose on Friday giving them at least that many goals in the last 5 games they scored.

You could say the Red Wings have had some good luck this season. Following their win over San Jose, the Wings improved to 29-16-4, putting them as one of 8 teams to reach the 60-point mark. However, among those clubs Detroit has the lowest goal differential at just plus-3.

The Leafs had an impressive road win over Colorado last week ending the Av’s 17-game home unbeaten streak and giving Toronto its 8th win in 10 games. However, the Leafs failed to build off the momentum, losing their next 2 games while allowing 6 goals in each contest.

Given Toronto’s ability to score while boasting a middling defense, the OVER has been a good NHL betting line wager. The Leafs have gone OVER the total in 4 straight games and in 28 of their 48 games overall.

A surge in goal scoring has allowed the Leafs to win 9 of 13 games while collecting points in 12 contests. Over that span they averaged more than 4 goals a game while scoring at least 4 games 9 times.

One of the most gifted goal scorers of his generation, Auston Matthews has been a key in the outburst. He began the New Year with a hat trick and has 9 goals in his first 9 games in January.

Red Wings at Maple Leafs Predictions

Both clubs have been fueled by offense during recent hot streaks and that’s a trend that likely continues in this matchup. Matthews has heated up and the Leafs are riding his play. They rank 5th averaging 3.38 goals per game and the Wings have had trouble keeping the puck out of their net.

The Wings have relied heavily on Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin for offense. The pair has combined for 49 goals and they are 2 of 4 players to score double figures in goals.

Red Wings at Maple Leafs Betting Tips

Toronto has produced on offense with 162 goals ranking them 6th in the NHL in goals per game. However, they’ve given up nearly as many, putting them 24th in the league in GAA.

The Wings are better defensively with the help of strong goaltending from John Gibson, who boasts a 2.73 GAA and .902 save percentage.

The Leafs could be more productive on offense if the power play was better. They rank just 23rd in the NHL with an efficiency of 16.9 percent. Detroit has scored 38 PPGs, the third-most in the league.