The Vancouver Canucks rarely win games these days, but they can win back-to-back for the first time this 2023 later this Tuesday night when they go up against the Nashville Predators. The Predators are fresh off an ugly loss and are looking to pick up the pieces with a strong performance – and a victory, of course. With all that being said, let’s now take a look at our NHL odds series plus our Vancouver Canucks-Nashville Predators prediction for this showdown scheduled at 8:00 PM ET.
Here are the Vancouver Canucks-Nashville Predators NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Vancouver Canucks -Nashville Predators Odds
Vancouver Canucks: +1.5 (-176)
Nashville Predators: -1.5 (+142)
Over: 6.5 (-134)
Under: 6.5 (+110)
How To Watch Vancouver Canucks -Nashville Predators
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Vancouver Canucks Could Cover The Spread
It's been a forgettable season for the Canucks as far as their play on the ice is concerned. They technically still have a shot at making the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs but their fans have long stopped thinking about it. However, that doesn't mean Vancouver isn't capable of getting hot for stretches. They have already snapped out of a three-game losing skid last Saturday when Vancouver downed the Philadelphia Flyers at home, 6-2. The Canucks have not won consecutive games since the calendar flipped to 2023, so this is a perfect opportunity for them to finally accomplish that elusive feat.
For one, the Predators aren't doing exactly great of late either. Nashville's defense has been leaky over its last few games, as it has allowed 16 goals in four games. There appears to be an opportunity for the Canucks to pounce on Nashville's penalty kill. Among the few things the Canucks are doing better than most teams in the 2022-23 NHL season is scoring on the power play. They are 11th in the NHL with a 23.4 percent success rate on the man advantage. Vancouver netted a total of five power-play goals on 15 chances over its last five games, while the Predators have allowed a power-play goal in each of their four most recent outings. Whatever star Nasvhille's defense is in, the Canucks are going to hope for Elias Pettersson to make things happen on offense.
Pettersson scored two goals with three assists in the win over the Flyers. While both his goals in that game were empty netters, those do nothing to discredit the high quality of play he's been bringing to the ice night in and night out. Pettersson has eight goals and nine assists in the last 10 Vancouver games. On the season, Pettersson has 27 goals and 44 assists in 54 games. Andrei Kuzmenko, who scored the game-winning goal versus the Flyers, is second on the team — behind Pettersson — with 24 goals along with 24 assists. Kuzmenko also scored a goal in Vancouver's 4-3 home loss to the Predators back in November.
Why The Nashville Predators Could Cover The Spread
The Predators are coming off a heartbreaking 4-3 loss on the road last Sunday to the Minnesota Wild. Nashville fell into a 2-0 hole early in that contest and found itself down 3-1 two minutes into the third period. The Predators would then tie the game with two unanswered goals only to lose by allowing a goal to Minnesota with only 21 seconds to go in regulation. Nevertheless, Nashville has seemingly regained its scoring touch. After scoring just four regulation goals over a four-game stretch, the Predators have scored three goals in each of the next two outings. Before the meeting with Minnesota, the Preds walloped the Florida Panthers in a 7-3 home win last Saturday.
Unlike the Canucks, the Predators still have a realistic chance to make the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, as they are seven points outside of the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. In other words, Nashville can't take its foot off the pedal just yet, and getting a lightweight in the form of the Canucks at home is an opportunity the Preds should be able to capitalize on. Speaking of which, the Predators must be salivating over the prospect of exploiting Vancouver's Swiss cheese defense. The Canucks are just 28th in the NHL with 3.36 goals allowed per game.
While we mentioned earlier the disappointing state of Nashville's penalty killing of late, it's the Canucks who are the worst against the power play this season. Vancouver is last in the league with just a 65.43 percent success rate in snuffing opposing power plays. Filip Forsberg, who leads the Predators this season with 19 goals, is listed day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He has missed the last four Nashville games, but the Predators can still cut their way through Vancouver's faulty defense even if the Swedish star eventually gets ruled out of Tuesday's contest.
Final Vancouver Canucks-Nashville Predators Prediction & Pick
It’s tempting to pick the Canucks’ spread because they are 18-11 against the puck line in road games this season, but this just looks like a game Nashville needs to put up a dominant performance to boost its morale amid a tight playoff race.
Final Vancouver Canucks-Nashville Predators Prediction & Pick: Nashville Predators -1.5 (+142)
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