NHL Betting Preview (April 13): Canucks vs. Oilers Odds

Photo credit:Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

21 days ago

Edmonton will try to prevent Vancouver from sweeping the regular season series in what will be the final time these two teams will meet in the regular season. This article breaks down the odds and trends that make his Pacific Division matchup interesting.

Canucks vs. Oilers Odds

Vancouver Canucks Moneyline Odds: +120
Edmonton Oilers Moneyline Odds: -140
Puck Line Odds: Canucks +1.5 (-210), Oilers -1.5 (+160)
Game Total: 6.5 goals (over -105, under -115)

All odds courtesy of Betway.

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Last Matchup

Vancouver got the jump on Edmonton early this season, embarrassing the Oilers 8-1 in the season opener, and defeating them 4-3 in their home opener. The Canucks also beat the Oilers 6-2 the last time they faced off, on November 6th. Edmonton opened the scoring in that game, but trailed 3-1 at the end of the first period. The Oilers made it 3-2 in the second frame, but the Canucks regained their two-goal lead before the second intermission and potted two of their three power play goals in the third period. Of course, Jay Woodcrosft was still behind the bench for all three losses, and he was fired less than a week after this game.

Check out Daily Faceoff to get updates regarding the line combinations and goaltenders for Saturday’s matchup.

Handicapping the Canucks (48-31 SU, 40-39 ATS, 40-35 O/U)

The Canucks deserve their flowers for accomplishing a feat that not a lot of people thought they could, and even over the last month, they still rank among the top-10 teams at 5-on-5, according to Evolving Hockey’s expected goals model. However, the Canucks have gone 6-7 straight up since Thatcher Demko went down with an injury and they have lost five of their last eight games.

The target for Demko’s return has always been the April 16th game versus the Calgary Flames, but he’s been ramping things up based on the practice footage that’s come out over the past few days. Arturs Silvos and Casey DeSmith have played fine overall, but neither goaltender is capable of running with the starting job for long and that’s been proven over the past month. Demko ranks fourth in goals saved above expected this season, while Silvos and DeSmith rank 63rd and 70th.

Scoring has been an issue for the Canucks, though. Vancouver ranks 21st in goals per 60 minutes in all situations since the start of March and they’ve only scored more than three goals in seven out of their 30 games since the All-Star break.

Handicapping the Oilers (48-30 SU, 37-41 ATS, 33-42 O/U)

Edmonton just didn’t have it on Friday against the Coyotes. The Oilers did pour it on in the third period, tilting the ice in their favour, but Arizona was arguably the better team for the first two periods.

There was just too much excitement going on in Edmonton’s zone, and too many stretches where the Oilers were flat. Edmonton outshot Arizona 40-28, but the Oilers finished with just 52.8 percent of the expected goals, according to Evolving Hockey, and that’s especially bad when you consider they closed as a -300 favourite. Thankfully, Connor McDavid seems to be progressing well after missing the last two games due to a lingering lower-body injury. According to Daily Faceoff’s Jason Gregor, the Oilers’ captain is taking it day-by-day, and Saturday’s game versus the Canucks is a possible target for a return to action.

However, the Oilers are currently listed as a -140 favourite, which implies they will win the game approximately 58 percent of the time. Based on how other top teams have been priced at home against the Canucks, the Oilers’ odds seem to reflect the fact that McDavid’s return is imminent. For example, Vancouver played road games and Carolina and Colorado in early February, and the Hurricanes and Avalanche were priced at -143 and -139 in those games, respectively.

Bettors will likely still flock to the Oilers if McDavid is in, but given how rest has impacted home teams this season, and historically, it’s unlikely that Edmonton’s home-ice advantage will be as strong as it usually is. Vancouver has a two-day rest advantage.

PRESENTED BY BETWAY

Team Betting Trends

Vancouver is 5-5 straight up in its last 10 road games, and just 2-8 against the puck line. However, they are 5-5 against the puck line in their last 10 games as the underdog.
Despite their 0-3 record versus Vancouver this season, the Oilers are 6-4 in their last 10 games against the Canucks. Edmonton is just 2-8 against the puck line in those 10 meetings, though.
In their last 10 home games versus Vancouver, the Oilers are 5-5 straight up, 2-8 against the puck line, and 5-3-2 to the over.

Player Prop Betting Trends

Elias Pettersson has just one goal in his last 10 games, snapping a nine-game goalless drought on Wednesday against Arizona. The Canucks’ star has just five points total in his last 10 games, but he’s got four points in his last four games. Pettersson is listed a +187 to score a goal and -200 to score a point.
Conor Garland has five goals and five assists in his last 10 games. Garland also leads the Canucks in shots on goal with 34 over the last 10 games and has gone over 2.5 shots in seven out of those 10 games. Garland is listed as +187 to score a goal.
Outside of Evander Kane’s two assists, the big guns were quiet on Friday against the Coyotes. In fact, none of the Oilers stand out over the last handful of games. The top players have been productive, but nobody’s putting up video game-like numbers over the last six games.

Best Bets for Oilersnation

Both teams will want to put on their best showing ahead of the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Canucks have a chance to sweep the season series. However, the uncertainty surrounding the status of Thatcher Demko and Connor McDavid makes this game tough to handicap, and Edmonton’s already in a tough spot schedule wise. So, I’m turning to a player prop that I feel confident in.

Garland has been a consistent threat as of late, and there appears to be some value betting on him to register over 2.5 shots on goal at -134 odds given how much his ice time has increased over the last several games. The 28-year-old has registered at least three shots on goal in seven out of his last 10 games and he’s played at least 18 minutes in each of his last four games, including more than 20 minutes of ice time on Wednesday.