Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers Free Preview

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Rogers Place will be hosting a divisional matchup as the Vancouver Canucks face off against the Edmonton Oilers. It’s the fourth and final time that the two clubs will go at it in the regular season. The first puck will drop at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 7, and fans at home will be able to watch the game live on CBC Sports.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers Odds

Vancouver (+170) is currently the underdog to Edmonton (-200), and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals (-110 for the over, -110 for the under).

Edmonton is 35-46 straight up (SU) and has lost 17.6 units for moneyline bettors this year. That early-season winning percentage is a noticeable slide from what the team managed during the 2016-17 season (47-35). 39 of its 81 matches have gone under the total, while 38 have gone over and just four have pushed. The teams 18-22 SU at home this year.

The Oilers have converted on just 14.4 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s ranked 31st overall in the NHL. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 26th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 76.3 percent of all penalties.

The Oilers, as a collective unit, have been penalized 3.6 times per game overall this season, and 2.2 per game over their last five contests home outings. The team has been forced to defend opposition power plays for just 6.0 minutes per game over their last 10 outings, overall.

Boasting a .907 save percentage and 27.5 saves per game, Cam Talbot (31-35-3) has been the primary goalkeeper for the Oilers this season. If Edmonton chooses to give him the night off, however, head coach Todd Mclellan could go with Al Montoya (4-9-9 record, .893 save percentage, 3.21 goals against average).

The Oilers will continue looking for leadership from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid (106 points) has tallied 41 goals and 65 assists and has recorded two or more points in 30 different games this year. Draisaitl has 24 goals and 45 assists to his name and has recorded at least one point in 44 contests.

On the other side of the rink, Vancouver is 31-50 straight up (SU) and has lost 8.8 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 81 regular season contests, 45 of its games have gone over the total, while 36 have gone under and none have pushed. As an away team, the Canucks are 15-25 SU.

The Canucks have scored on 21.8 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that places it in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 21st overall and it’s successfully killed off 78.8 percent of all penalties.

Vancouver’s players have been whistled for penalties 3.7 times per game this season, and 2.6 per game over their past five contests. The team has had to kill penalties just 7.5 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.

Jacob Markstrom (.912 save percentage and 2.71 goals against average) has been the primary option in goal for Vancouver. Markstrom is averaging 26.5 saves per game and owns a 23-37-8 record.

Leading the offensive attack for the visiting Canucks will be Daniel Sedin (23 goals, 32 assists) and Brock Boeser (29 goals, 26 assists).

Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers Betting Predictions

Free NHL Tip: SU Winner – Oilers, O/U – Under

Betting Trends

  • Edmonton is 4-1 in games decided by a shootout this season while Vancouver is 0-4 in shootouts.
  • The under has hit in three of Edmonton’s last five games.
  • The Oilers this season have recorded the third-most hits per game (26.2).