The Vancouver Canucks will face the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. Two Canadian teams will clash at Rogers Place as we share our NHL odds series and make a Canucks-Oilers prediction and pick.
The Canucks are 52-48 over the past 100 games against the Oilers. Significantly, the Canucks are 6-4 in the past 10 games against the Oilers, including 3-2 in the past five games in Edmonton. So far, the Canucks and Oilers have split the season series, with the Oilers blasting the Canucks 7-3 on November 9, 2024, and the Nucks winning 3-2 on January 18, 2025.
Here are the Canucks-Oilers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Canucks-Oilers Odds
Vancouver Canucks: +1.5 (-170)
Moneyline: +150
Buffalo Sabres: -1.5 (+138)
Moneyline: -198
Over: 5.5 (-122)
Under: 5.5 (+100)
How To Watch Canucks vs Oilers
Time: 9 PM ET/6 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
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Why the Canucks Could Cover the Spread/Win
Things got spicy with the Oilers last Saturday, and several suspensions have been handed down. Tyler Myers has been suspended for three games for his hit on Evan Bouchard. Ultimately, this game had a lot of spice in it, and the Oilers and Canucks had a lot of fireworks going.
Things started well for the Canucks, who exploded out of the gate with three goals. Then, they held on despite allowing two goals in the second period. The offense found some life, and defenseman Quinn Hughes had two goals, while J.T. Miller had two assists. Likewise, Danton Heinen had one goal, and Myers, who will not play in this game, had one apple. The offense generated early offense by winning 58 percent of the faceoffs while facing 27 shots at the net. Furthermore, they went 2 for 4 on the powerplay.
The Canucks play a boring style, not really generating any rush chances and relying on dump and chase. Unfortunately, it does not always work. But they have done enough to keep themselves alive in the playoff race.
Thatcher Demko did not need to do much. Yet, he stopped 13 shots while allowing two goals. The Canucks also went 1 for 2 on the penalty kill. Additionally, they leveled 18 hits and blocked 13 shots. Significantly, the defense will not have to face one of the best players in the world, who also will miss this game due to his actions on Saturday.
The Canucks will cover the spread if they can execute on offense well and deliver a proper dump and chase while gaining possession of the puck and firing shots at the net. Also, they need their defense to clamp down and prevent the dangerous Oilers from firing endless shots at the net.
Why the Oilers Could Cover the Spread/Win
Connor McDavid has been suspended for a bad hit to Conor Garland and will not play in this game. Consequently, the Oilers will be without their top weapon, and it is a big loss, as he had two goals and one assist in the monster win against the Canucks a few months ago.
When the Oilers win, it is usually because they build and hold leads. Yes, they recently rallied from a 3-0 deficit against the Colorado Avalanche to stun them. But it often does not go that way. Thus, they must start fast and furious. The Oilers beat the Canucks two months ago because they built a large lead. Leon Draisaitl was an integral figure in that game, scoring one goal and one assist. Mattias Janmark was also instrumental, with three assists. The Oilers also got secondary scoring, with Corey Perry and Viktor Arvidsson each tallying a goal.
The offense fired 31 shots at the net in the win in November. Additionally, they won despite winning just 47 percent of the faceoffs. The Oilers also went 1 for 3 on the powerplay.
The defense and goaltending were not perfect in either game. Yet, Stuart Skinner did enough with 17 saves and three goals allowed. The defense went 1 for 2 on the penalty kill and leveled 10 hits while blocking eight shots.
The Oilers will cover the spread if their offense can explode to a hot start. Then, their defense must play better, and not give the Canucks too many chances.
Final Canucks-Oilers Prediction & Pick
The Canucks are 19-27 against the spread, while the Oilers are 18-29 against the odds. Moreover, the Canucks are 11-11 against the spread on the road, while the Oilers are 7-17 against the spread at home. The Canucks are 23-21-2 against the over/under, while the Oilers are 20-24-3 against the over/under.
Losing McDavid will hurt the Oilers. Therefore, I can see the Canucks finding a way to stay in this game and make life difficult for the Oilers. Expect this to be a close game to the end, with the Canucks covering the spread on the road.
Final Canucks-Oilers Prediction & Pick: Canucks +1.5 (-170)