by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024
Game Time: 10:30 pm ET, Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Venue: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Avalanche -105, Canucks -115; Over/Under: 6.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Avalanche -105, Canucks -115; Over/Under: 6.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Avalanche -105, Canucks -115; Over/Under: 6.5 goals
Season Record
Colorado Avalanche: 40-20-5 (3rd place, Central Division)
Vancouver Canucks: 42-17-7 (1st place, Pacific Division)
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Recent Form
Colorado Avalanche: 7-2-1 last 10
Vancouver Canucks: 5-4-1 last 10
Colorado Avalanche vs Vancouver Canucks Preview and Analysis
The Avalanche are entering this game with 85 points, a 40-20-5 record overall, and they are 14-14-5 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Minnesota Wild in their last game, winning that one at home 2-1 in overtime, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Calgary Flames still to be played on Tuesday night. In their game against the Wild, Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin each scored 1 goal for them in that game. Nathan MacKinnon led the team in assists with 2 while Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Miles Wood each led the team in shots on net in that game with 6. Alexandar Georgiev was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 1 goal on 30 shots with 29 saves and a .967 save percentage. Their offense has scored 241 goals this season averaging 3.7 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 197 goals against them allowing 3 goals per game.
The Canucks are entering this game with 91 points, a 42-17-7 record overall, and they are 21-6-3 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Winnipeg Jets in their last game, winning that one at home 5-0. Nils Höglander, Elias Pettersson, Pius Suter, Phillip Di Giuseppe, and J. T. Miller each scored 1 goal for them in that game. Quinn Hughes led the team in assists with 2 while Ilya Mikheyev led the team in shots on net in that game with 6. Thatcher Demko was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 0 goals on 12 shots with 12 saves and a 1.000 sv percentage before leaving injured and getting replaced by Casey DeSmith who allowed no goals on 10 shots. Their offense has scored 234 goals this season averaging 3.5 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 178 goals against them allowing 2.7 goals per game.
Avalanche vs Canucks Prediction
The current betting odds have the Canucks listed as a slight favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Canucks have looked great in their games this season with their 42-17-7 record overall which has them leading their division in the West right now with one of the best records in the entire NHL. They have also looked great on their home ice this year with their 21-6-3 home record. Meanwhile, the Avalanche have also looked really good in their games this season with their 40-20-5 record overall which has them in 3rd place of their division in the West and in a playoff spot right now. The Avalanche have also been really hot in their games lately with their 7-2-1 record in their last 10 games, but as hot as they have been lately, they have still struggled a lot more in road games this season with their 14-14-5 road record. The Canucks are only 5-4-1 in their last 10 games but they have a ton of momentum on their side right now with 4 wins in a row now. The Canucks also have the better defense this season and just pulled off a shutout in their last one, they will be able to edge the Avalanche out with the home advantage here. The best way to place a bet here is on the Canucks to win this game.
Avalanche Canucks Prediction: Our NHL Pick for Wednesday, March 13, 2024 (10:30 pm ET start time) is Canucks 2 Avalanche 0.
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NHL Betting Trends
Colorado Avalanche: 43-31 (-9.5 units) on the moneyline after a blowout win by 3 goals or more. 28-18 (-10 units) on the moneyline after a 4 game unbeaten streak. 25-18 OVER off a road win by 2 goals or more. 5-1 OVER after 3 straight games with 33 or more shots on goal.
Vancouver Canucks: 42-24 (+11.6 units) on the moneyline in all games. 13-4 (+7 units) on the moneyline revenging a same season loss vs opponent. 18-8 OVER after 1 or more consecutive unders. 35-22 OVER off a home win. 13-7 OVER after 2 straight wins by 2 goals or more.
Key Injuries
Colorado Avalanche: J. Johnson (D) Ques Tues - Illness. R. Colton (C) Ques Tues - Illness. A. Lehkonen (LW) Ques Tues - Illness. L. O'Connor (RW) out for season - Hip. Z. Parise (LW) Ques Tues - Lower Body. P. Francouz (G) out for season - Groin. G. Landeskog (LW) out for season - Knee.
Vancouver Canucks: T. Demko (G) Early April - Undisclosed. D. Joshua (C) Late March - Upper Body. T. Myers (D) Out indefinitely - Lower Body. T. Poolman (D) out for season - Migraine.
Notable Quotes
“We’re happy he’s back. He’s a huge part of our team. Hopefully, good times for him coming up. Huge goal. He’s such a big competitor. He always wants to help us win.” - Alexandar Georgiev on the return of Valeri Nichushkin after their win against the Wild in their game on Friday.
“I haven’t talked to the doctor. I don’t think it’s too serious, but I don’t know. I can’t speculate.” - Rick Tocchet on the injury to Thatcher Demko after his team’s win against the Jets in their game on Saturday.
Starting Lineups
Colorado Avalanche
LW Lehkonen, Artturi
C MacKinnon, Nathan
RW Rantanen, Mikko
LD Toews, Devon
RD Makar, Cale
G Georgiev, Alexandar
Vancouver Canucks
LW Höglander, Nils
C Pettersson, Elias
RW Suter, Pius
LD Hughes, Quinn
RD Hronek, Filip
G DeSmith, Casey
Statistical Leaders
Colorado Avalanche
Points: N. MacKinnon (111)
Goals: N. MacKinnon (40)
Assists: N. MacKinnon (71)
GAA: J. Annunen (2.33)
Vancouver Canucks
Points: J. Miller (85)
Goals: B. Boeser (35)
Assists: Q. Hughes (63)
GAA: T. Demko (2.47)
Coaches:
Colorado Avalanche: Jared Bednar (8th season)
Vancouver Canucks: Rick Tocchet (2nd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
