Vancouver Canucks vs. Detroit Red Wings Prediction, NHL Odds
Vancouver and Detroit are intriguing for different reasons. The Canucks have been a soap opera for the last two seasons. After trading Quinn Hughes, the Canucks have ironically been an interesting watch to see how their new future core performs.
The Red Wings draw interest because they’re chasing the playoffs, which have eluded them for nine seasons. If they come up short for a tenth consecutive season, the Red Wings will have to take a long look in the mirror. Every game Detroit plays draws interest as the season’s second-half progresses.
Canucks vs. Red Wings NHL Betting Odds
Detroit is a -160 favourite in this one and +145 to cover the -1.5 puckline on the NHL odds. Vancouver is +135 to win and -175 to cover +1.5 goals. The game total is 6.0 with the over being -115 and the under being -105. There are no huge surprises in the game lines considering team strengths and recent performances.
Vancouver’s .440 points percentage is the second-lowest in the NHL. The Canucks have a new-look team without much depth, and recently have suffered a couple of injuries, which have not helped their six losses in of their last seven games. Head to head, the results have favoured the Red Wings, as they have won seven out of the last nine.
Vancouver Canucks
It’s frustrating for Canucks fans seeing the direction the team has gone less than two years removed from being a win away from the Western Conference Finals. However, at least for now, the team has a clear direction. It looked like Vancouver might turn things around after the blockbuster Hughes trade, but the Canucks have since looked like the rebuilding team they have become.
The Canucks enter this game having lost four straight and six out of their last seven. They recently lost Conor Garland and Marco Rossi to injuries, leaving their forward group more depleted than it already was. Unfortunately, Vancouver’s depleted forward group is a bad combination with their league-30th ranked goals allowed per game. The Canucks have an uphill battle in this one.
Detroit Red Wings
Except for a couple of short stretches, it has been a good season for the Red Wings. They have been rolling since the start of December, and are just a point back of the top spot in the Atlantic. Detroit is 6-2-1 in its last nine games, coming off a nice 5-3 win over Ottawa.
A big tailwind the Red Wings are experiencing at the moment is health. Their roster is at full-strength, which is dangerous for opponents. Detroit’s top scorers, Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat, and Dylan Larkin, have a combined 56 goals and 127 points in 130 games. With solid additional forward depth, one of the best defencemen in the NHL, and good special teams, the Red Wings are dangerous.
NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Canucks vs. Red Wings?
This appears to be a bit of a lopsided game in favour of Detroit. The Red Wings are the better team in better form, they are healthier, have more productive top players, and are at home. They have proven to be a tough matchup for the Canucks considering they beat Vancouver 4-0 last month.
To further Detroit’s advantages on the ice, the Red Wings will play with plenty of urgency to collect these two points to keep pace in the East. Unless they mail it in, this one should be all Red Wings by a score of 5-2.
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