The Vancouver Canucks are looking to bounce back from a costly loss on New Year's Eve, and they'll get to face a Pacific rival who hasn't been kind to them as of late. The Seattle Kraken sit six points behind the Canucks in the standings, owning a losing record over their past ten games and sliding down the ranks. They are in danger of falling behind the Anaheim Ducks if they don't start securing some victories. The Kraken and Canucks have won five games each over their past ten, but Seattle are winners of five of the past six. An intriguing stat from the matchups between these two teams is that they've gone over the total in nine of the past ten. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Canucks-Kraken prediction and pick.

Here are the Canucks-Kraken NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NHL Odds: Canucks-Kraken Odds

Vancouver Canucks: +1.5 (-245)

Moneyline: +115

Seattle Kraken: -1.5 (+200)

Moneyline: -135

Over: 5.5 (-115)

Under: 5.5 (-105)

How To Watch Canucks vs. Kraken

Time: 10 PM ET/7 PM PT

TV: Sportsnet, KHN

*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*

Why the Canucks Could Cover the Spread/Win

The Canucks must find a way to persevere through some injuries to their top stars to start putting some wins together. Vancouver has struggled over the past ten games, owning a 3-3-4 record. You can look at it in two ways, depending on if you want to be optimistic or pessimistic about the situation. The pessimist would say they've won three of the past ten games and need to make a change. However, the optimist will say they secured points in seven of ten games, and they were a couple of good bounces in the four overtimes away from owning a 7-3 record over their past ten.

Goaltending has been an issue in Vancouver, as Kevin Lankinen has been the best of the two goalies since Thatcher Demko's return. Lankinen has given the Canucks a chance to win in most games, but the question is whether they'll be bold enough to risk upsetting Demko and slotting Lankinen in for his second consecutive start.

Why the Kraken Could Cover the Spread/Win

The problem for the Canucks is off-ice, as Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes are out with undisclosed injuries. The off-ice distractions keep piling up for Pettersson, as he already had to deal with an apparent rift with teammate JT Miller. Vancouver has always been an interesting spot for rumors and manufactured drama within the media, and it seems like the Pettersson/Miller sega is another to add to the list. The Canucks have been stumbling ever since those rumors came out and finally relinquished their playoff spot on Tuesday when they lost to the Calgary Flames.

If Demko gets the start in this game, it could boost the Kraken's offense. Demko has been abysmal since returning from his long-term injury, owning a 2-1-3 record with a 3.43 goals-against average and a .879 save percentage. Understandably, he's trying to shake the rust off, but the Canucks need him to figure it out fast.

Final Canucks-Kraken Prediction & Pick

The Kraken's games have gone over the total in four straight, and the Canucks have gone over in three of the past four. Nine of the past ten matchups against these teams have also gone over, and the winning team scored five or more goals in nine of those games. It always seems to be a goal-scoring frenzy when these two teams face off, and we predict it will happen again in this game like it did on December 28 in Seattle's 5-4 overtime win.

Final Canucks-Kraken Prediction & Pick: Over 5.5 (-115)