Canucks: Betting odds and prediction vs. Oilers (January 25)

Following a disappointing 0-1-1 start to their mini home stand, the Vancouver Canucks will look to end their their two game slide when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.

On Sunday night, Vancouver fell to 18-19-4 on the season following a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the St. Louis Blues. The Canucks are positioned seventh in the Pacific Division, and now sit four points out of the second wild card spot in the playoff picture.

Tuesday’s game will be the last before the team heads on another four game road trip, so taking points from a fellow playoff competitor is crucial.

Vancouver’s opponents, the Edmonton Oilers, have been one of the league’s worst teams over the last two months following a blistering start to the season. The Oilers, now 19-16-2 on the campaign, have the same points total as the Canucks, and sit just ahead of them in sixth place in the division.

Edmonton is led by under fire head coach Dave Tippett, and boasts some of the worlds best players in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

An important matchup to watch this game is the Edmonton power play against the Vancouver penalty kill. The Oilers click on the power play at 30.5%, good for 1st in the NHL, whilst the Canucks penalty kill is dead last in the league with a 66.9% efficiency rate. If Vancouver runs into discipline issues then they may be in for a long night.

Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau has stated that he hopes to have Thatcher Demko back in net for Tuesday’s game, and that would be a big boost to the Canucks chances in this game. On the other side, it’s expected that the Oilers will put inconsistent goaltender Mikko Koskinen between the pipes at Rogers Arena.

Vancouver continues to struggle with COVID-19 cases throughout the squad, however there is the possibility that they could see J.T. Miller return to the squad against Edmonton. Both Miller and Demko can be considered as ‘questionable’ for this vital upcoming matchup.

The odds for this game are courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook, the official betting partner of FanSided.

Betting Odds

Moneyline

Canucks +110

Oilers -130

Goal Total

Over 6.0 goals at -125

Under 6.0 goals +105

Puckline 

Canucks +1.5 at -210

Oilers -1.5 at +170

Prediction

Both teams desperately need victories in this vital matchup. The Oilers are looking to find any resemblance of team they were earlier in the season when it looked like they could be contenders, whilst the Canucks are looking to keep their playoff hopes alive with the slimmest odds. Despite coming off a victory over Calgary on Sunday, the Oilers are reeling and look like a team that has massive changes on the horizon, starting potentially with a coaching change. Whilst the Canucks have struggled as of late after their start under Boudreau, I’m backing them to hold the fort on home ice. I’m going out on a limb and saying Demko is back, getting the start in net, and I expect him to outplay Koskinen which gives the Canucks the edge in this one.

Pick: Canucks Moneyline at +110

What are your thoughts on this upcoming game between the Canucks and Oilers? What bets will you be placing on the game? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comment section!