Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks: Best Bets and Preview
Tonight will be the third division matchup in a row for the Canucks. After dropping the first two to the Flames and Kraken, they face the Sharks for the second time this season. Game one finished in a Canuck beat down as they filled up the score sheet, scoring ten goals, the franchise’s highest goal total since 1986. These two teams are on opposite sides of the division. The Canucks sit in second with 25 points, while the Sharks are at the bottom with only seven points. Vancouver looks to get back in the win column against an opponent they’ve had a lot of recent success against.
Game Preview
The Canucks and Sharks have very different location splits for tonight. The Canucks are 6-1-1 at home this season, while the Sharks are still in search of their first victory away from home. The Canucks have won seven of their last ten, while the Sharks have lost seven of their last ten. Head to head, the Canucks have the advantage as they’ve won and gone over their 3.5-team total line in ten straight against the Sharks.
Albeit, there isn’t value betting that straight at the -190 line it sits at now. An alternative angle to make the same bet is taking the Canucks Race To four goals at -145. In their last ten head-to-head games, the Sharks have only scored four or more goals in two games. Of those two games, the Canucks scored four before the Sharks did in both games. I’ll be pivoting to this angle for tonight’s game.
Canucks Player Props
Filip Hronek Point (-130)
Filip has had a hard time staying off the score sheet this season. He has registered a point in fourteen of eighteen games this season, totalling eighteen points. Hronek has recorded a point in all eight of the Canucks home games this season, totalling eleven points. Hronek has an impressive history against the Sharks, with points in four of his last five games, totalling six points. The Sharks allow the most goals against in the league, averaging 4.3 per game.
Andrei Kuzmenko Goal (+213)
Kuzmenko has yet to score on home ice this season, which is surprising as he had 23 goals in 41 home games last season. Kuzmenko gets up for the games against the Sharks. He has nine points in five career games against the Sharks, his highest point total against any team. In those five games, he goals in four of them. Head coach Rick Tocchet this morning said that the Mikheyev-Pettersson-Kuzmenko line needs to push the pace as they’re playing too methodically, per Brendan Batchelor. Tocchet also said, “Kuzy needs to start playing harder.” when asked if he benched Kuzmenko in the second period of their last game, per Thomas Drance. After being called out by your coach to the media, this should light a fire under Kuzmenko tonight to prove his coach wrong and get his first goal on home ice.
Canucks Bets Summary:
Vancouver Canucks Race to Four Goals (-145) for 1 unit.
Filip Hronek Point (-130) for 1 unit.
Andrei Kuzmenko Goal (+213) for .5 unit.
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Last Game Recap: 1-2 -1.09 units.
All-Time Record: 7-3 +2.73 units.