The Vancouver Canucks, led by Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, are set to take the ice against Anze Kopitar, Ilya Kovalchuk, and the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center in a divisional showdown. The opening face-off is at 10:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 30, and it can be seen live on Sportsnet ONE.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Los Angeles Kings Odds
Los Angeles (+105) is entering this one as the underdog to Vancouver (-125) and oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals (-105 over, -115 under).
Vancouver is 7-4 straight up (SU) and has netted 3.8 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 11 regular season matches, five of its games have gone over the total, while another five have gone under and just one has pushed. This 2019-20 Canucks team is 3-3 SU on the road.
The Canucks have scored on 17.4 percent of their power play chances so far. That mark hasn’t moved too much from last year, when they were ranked 22nd in the NHL by scoring on 17.1 percent of their extra-man chances. Their penalty kill has gotten stronger year-over-year, as they’ve gone from successfully defending 81.1 percent of all opponent power plays (ranked 10th overall last year) to 86.8 percent this year..
With a .920 save percentage and 29.4 saves per game, Jacob Markstrom (4-3-1) has been the primary option in goal for Vancouver this season. If head coach Travis Green chooses to rest him, however, Vancouver may roll with Thatcher Demko (3-1 record, .941 save percentage, 1.73 goals against average).
Over on the other bench, Los Angeles is 4-8 straight up (SU) and has lost 2.1 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 12 regular season matches, seven of its games have gone over the total, while four have gone under and just one has pushed. It’s 2-3 SU at home this season.
The Kings have converted on just 8.9 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a mark that places them in the bottom overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 25th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 73.8 percent of all penalties.
Jonathan Quick has stopped 24.9 shots per game as the top netminder in the crease for the Kings. Quick has two wins and five losses to his credit and has maintained a mediocre 4.48 goals against average and a poor .849 save percentage this year.
Vancouver Canucks at Los Angeles Kings Free Picks
Pick: SU Winner – Kings, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- After earning a 6-6 record in games decided by a shootout last season, the Canucks are off to a 2-1 start in shootouts this year. The Kings went 3-4 in shootouts last year and has yet to participate in one this time around.
- The over has hit in three of Vancouver’s last five outings.
- Vancouver skaters recorded 21.9 hits per game last season, while the Kings accounted for 23.3 hits per contest.
