Subscribe
Follow Us
It's an All-Canadian Pacific Division matchup when the Vancouver Canucks visit the Calgary Flames. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Canucks-Flames prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Canucks had an emotional victory last night, beating ex-captain Bo Horvat in his return to Vancouver. The Canucks went down 2-0 early but rallied to tie the game in the third period, and Quinn Hughes buried the winner in overtime. The win put Vancouver on top of the Western Conference with a 12-3-1 record, just one point behind the Boston Bruins for first overall in the league. In one of the craziest stats of the season thus far, the Canucks have three players tied with 26 points for first in the NHL. Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, and J.T. Miller take the lead after Hughes and Miller's three-point nights against the Islanders.
The Flames are 5-8-2 and sitting sixth in the Pacific Division. They have lost seven of their last ten games, and rumors are swirling that they may start trading players out of town. Nikita Zadorov and Chris Tanev may be heading out on the backend, and the extension for Elias Lindholm is now on the backburner. Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri are struggling to live up to their contracts, and all signs point to the Flames entering a rebuild. The lone bright spot for the Flames this season is the emergence of Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil. They also have Matt Coronato and Dustin Wolf contending to be full-time members of the Flames roster. Jakob Pelletier is on the injured reserve but will eventually be returning as well. The youth movement for the Flames is about to begin.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Canucks-Flames Odds
Vancouver Canucks: +1.5 (-205) ML (+116)
Calgary Flames: -1.5 (+168) ML (-140)
Over: 6.5 (-118)
Under: 6.5 (-104)
How to Watch Canucks vs. Flames
Time: 9 PM ET/6 PM PT
TV: Sportsnet
Stream: FuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Canucks Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Canucks have won seven of their last eight games. They are averaging 4.38 goals per game. Their defense has been even better, allowing only 2.25 goals per game. Their defense took a step back against the Islanders last night, allowing three goals, but they managed to score four to win. Vancouver will have an opportunity to win games, assuming their offense keeps up the same amount of production.
Article Continues Below
The Canucks are playing well offensively, scoring 16 goals in their last four games. Their powerplay has also been converting at a 33% rate. The Flames' defense has given up ten goals in their past three games, but only one has been with Jacob Markstrom in the net. The Flames have also struggled at home, losing four of their last five games.
Why The Flames Will Cover The Spread/Win
Jacob Markstrom is playing his best hockey in a long time, having two straight games with just one goal allowed. It would be an amazing goaltending matchup with Thatcher Demko between the pipes for Vancouver tonight. However, Demko was in the net for the Canucks last night in their extended overtime game against the Islanders. Casey Desmith will likely get the start, boasting a 4-0-1 record with a 2.48 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage. He has been playing well, but the backup goaltender playing behind an emotionally and physically drained team may be a cause for concern.
The Flames have been playing better over their past four games than their record would suggest. They have two wins over Nashville and Montreal, a close shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and a disappointing loss to the Ottawa Senators. A three-point performance on the three-game road trip through Eastern Canada is nothing to be upset about. The Flames return home tonight for the first game of a two-game swing and will be motivated to defeat a rival in front of their crowd.
Final Canucks-Flames Prediction & Pick
All signs point to the Canucks having the upper hand in tonight's matchup. They have been the better team this season in every aspect, and the Flames are reeling. Jacob Markstrom missed a week with an injury but looked good before suffering the setback. He returned from injury and stopped 34 shots to beat the Montreal Canadiens 2-1. The Flames are showing no confidence in Dan Vladar's ability to get the team a win, so they will likely go back to Markstrom tonight.
The Canucks have been on an insane run of good hockey and good luck. They seem like the league's Cinderella story, as three of their players lead the league in points, and they sit second in the NHL's standings. Many people are wondering if anything can slow down the Canucks, and if they are going to lose a game, tonight would be the night.
They went through an emotional game last night against the New York Islanders. Bo Horvat returned to Vancouver, and the Islanders took an early 2-0 lead. The Canucks rallied back in the third period to tie the game and then won it on a Quinn Hughes goal in overtime. The team then had to take a plane to Calgary and try to get ready to play less than 24 hours later. Most people look at the analytics of this matchup and think there's no way to bet the Flames here, but this is a big letdown spot for the Canucks. Add to it that the Canucks will start backup goaltender Casey DeSmith tonight.
An interesting note here is how oddsmakers are handicapping this matchup. Anyone who looks at the odds will say there is no way to not take the Canucks as this big of an underdog against the Flames. That is what the oddsmakers want you to think. They believe in the Flames' chances tonight, and you should too.
Final Canucks-Flames Prediction & Pick: Flames ML (-140)
