Skip to main content

Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs Prediction, Picks & Player Props for Tonight's NHL Game

Connor Cooper

Last Updated: January 22, 2025 12:46 PM EST • 2 min 56 sec read.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews celebrates as we make our best Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs prediction.
Pictured: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews celebrates with forwards Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner after scoring a goal. Photo by Dan Hamilton / Imagn Images.

The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. ET (Sportsnet/ESPN+).

Auston Matthews has heated up in January, scoring eight times in nine games. The Maple Leafs sniper looks to extend his hot stretch when the Leafs look to win a fourth straight as big favorites.

Our Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs prediction, picks, and player props like a trio of forwards—including Matthews—to shine.

Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs predictions today

Odds via our best NHL betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.

  • Kirill Marchenko Over 2.5 Shots On Goal (-134 via Betway) ⭐⭐⭐
  • Mitch Marner Over 1.5 Assists (+200 via Betway) ⭐⭐⭐
  • Auston Matthews First Goal Scorer (+550 via Betway) ⭐⭐

Best Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs player prop picks

Kirill Marchenko Over 2.5 Shots On Goal (-134 via Betway) ⭐⭐⭐

With Columbus struggling to score (one goal in its last two games and two or fewer in four of five), I’m expecting the team’s goal leader to look to shoot more tonight. That’s something Marchenko has done in recent meetings with the Leafs, firing at least three shots on net in four of the last five matchups—including seven when the teams clashed in October.

Although the Leafs have won three in a row, they aren’t exactly playing shutdown hockey. They have allowed at least three goals in six straight games.

Toronto has also shown a tendency to allow a high shot volume to the opposition’s top shooters, giving up at least five shots to Cole Caufield, Nikita Kucherov, Nico Hischier, and Jack Hughes over the past week.

Best odds: -134 via Betway | Implied probability: 57.3%

Up To $250 First Bet Reset

Terms and conditions apply.

Play Now
Each product featured on our website has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission. 21+. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly

Mitch Marner Over 1.5 Assists (+200 via Betway) ⭐⭐⭐

Toronto’s top set-up man has stepped up his game without John Tavares in the lineup, drawing two assists in each of the Leafs’ three outings since Tavares was injured. After drawing 14 helpers in Toronto’s first 10 games of January, Marner now ranks second in the NHL in apples, behind only Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche.

Marner has also been far more productive at home this season (41 points in 28 games) than on the road (26 in 20). And he’s fared well in recent meetings with the Blue Jackets, posting multi-point outings in six of his last eight games versus Columbus.

Betway lists Marner at +130 odds to record another multi-point performance tonight, but I prefer the value of +200 on Over 1.5 assists. Thirty of Marner’s last 36 points have come on helpers.

Best odds: +200 via Betway | Implied probability: 33.3%

Auston Matthews First Goal Scorer ⭐⭐

After scoring just 11 goals in the first three months of the season, Matthews has turned things around.

Matthews is the clear favorite on the first goalscorer prop for good reason. Toronto’s sniper enters tonight on his hottest streak of the season, having potted eight goals in nine games since returning from an upper-body injury.

He also has a knack for getting the job done early. Matthews opened the scoring in Monday’s 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 67th time he’s drawn first blood since joining the league in 2016. Only David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins has scored the first goal of a game more during that span.

If you’d rather play it a bit safer, Betway is offering excellent value on Matthews anytime goal tonight (-120).

Best odds: +550 via Betway | Implied probability: 15.4%

Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs odds

Odds via Betway.

MarketBlue JacketsMaple Leafs
Moneyline+175-215
Puck line+1.5 (-140)-1.5 (+110)
Over/UnderOver 6.5 (-105)Under 6.5 (-115)

Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs injuries

Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs live odds & info

  • When: Wednesday, Jan. 22
  • Puck drop: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Where: Scotiabank Arena (Toronto)
  • How to watch: Sportsnet/ESPN+
  • Favorite: Maple Leafs -215 (via Betway)

Here are our best NHL betting sites:

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Not intended for use in MA.
Each betting site featured on SBR has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission.

Related pages

Written By:
Connor Cooper
Connor Cooper has written about sports in various capacities for more than 20 years, including as a newspaper reporter, sports handicapper, and betting analyst. He originates hockey plays every day throughout the NHL season, regularly bets his own opinions on NFL and college football, and relies on handicappers he trusts to find daily action in basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, and golf. A diehard Maple Leafs and Blue Jays fan growing up in the Toronto area, Connor quickly shed all his allegiances once he realized that making money betting on sports was much more fun than cheering for his favorite team. Connor won’t hesitate to bet on — or against — anybody if that’s where the value lies. In addition to analyzing recent and season-long statistics, Connor always looks to account for the human element when breaking down games, weighing situational and motivational factors into his handicapping process. He's also a big believer in finding creative ways to generate more value, constantly scouring BetMGM, Caesar, FanDuel, and other regulated sportsbooks' derivative markets such as team totals, alternate lines, and player props.