Have Oilers Found Answer in Goal Ahead of Game 5?
Oilers vs Canucks Betting Odds Still Favor Edmonton
The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks are now even again at 2-2 following the Oilers’ 3-2 victory in Game 4. Evan Bouchard scored the game-winner with 38.1 seconds left in regulation, his fourth goal of the postseason.
Now the attention turns to Game 5 on Thursday (10 p.m. ET) in Vancouver. Edmonton is -1.5 (+170) on the puck line and -148 on the moneyline, while Vancouver is +124 to win outright. Meanwhile, the projected total is 6.5 with a slight edge to the Under at -120. Bettors can get the Over at +100.
The Oilers also remain favored to win the series at -190 odds, compared to +160 for the Canucks.
What can bettors expect? Read on as we break down the Oilers vs Canucks betting odds in our Game 5 preview.
Edmonton Oilers vs Vancouver Canucks
Day/Time:
Location: Rogers Arena; Vancouver, B.C.
Streaming: TNT
Oilers vs Canucks Betting Trends
The Edmonton Oilers are just 40-51 against the puck line, including 0-4 this series. However, the Oilers have been profitable of late for Over/Under bettors, going 7-2 this postseason for an overall mark of 42-45-4.
The Vancouver Canucks, meanwhile, are 49-43 on the puck line. Vancouver has also been profitable for Over/Under bettors, going 46-41-5.
That’s important to when assessing the Oilers vs Canucks betting odds.
Pickard Shines in Start
Calvin Pickard rose to the occasion in his first NHL playoff start. The veteran netminder kept Vancouver off the board through the first two periods and finished with 19 saves, helping Edmonton even the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch praised Pickard afterward, telling reporters “(Pickard) looked like a guy who had played 100 playoff games. Composed, really solid, seeing the puck well.”
The 32-year-old Pickard replaced Stuart Skinner, who gave up four goals on 15 shots in Game 3.
Knoblauch will presumably stick with Pickard. He’d served as Skinner’s backup since November, when Jack Campbell was demoted to Bakersfield of the AHL. He went 12-7-1 with a 2.45 goals against-average and .909 save percentage during the regular season, his biggest workload since the 2016-17 season with Colorado. Prior to Tuesday, his only postseason appearance came late in Game 3 (three saves).
Edmonton’s power play stayed hot, with Leon Draisaitl scoring on its first opportunity. The Oilers went 1 for 2 on the power play and have converted on a league-best 46.7% of their chances this postseason. Dallas is the next closest unit at 30.8%.
The Oilers are also averaging 4.00 goals per game, per hockey scores. In accordance, they’ve gone Over the total in seven of their nine playoff games. Be sure to keep that in mind when analyzing the Oilers vs Canucks betting odds.
Canucks Power Play Still Lagging
The Canucks have shown impressive resolve this postseason, even in losing efforts. They tied Edmonton late in Game 4 following goals by Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua.
It wasn’t enough, of course, but Vancouver at the very least ruined some of Pickard’s mojo.
At the same time, the Canucks received another strong performance in net from Arturs Silovs. The 23-year-old Latvian seems here to stay as Vancouver’s starter, at least until Thatcher Demko is healthy enough to return. Demko, a Vezina Trophy finalist, has been out since Game 1 of the opening round against Los Angeles with a knee injury. He has already been ruled out for the series. Silovs has played well in his absence, going 4-3 with a 2.71 GAA and .907 save percentage in seven postseason games.
Without its NHL odds on the board ahead of only Boston (+2800) and Colorado (+4000).
Among the issues for Vancouver is its slumbering power play. The Canucks have converted on just 20% of their attempts after going 0 for 3 in Game 4.
Handicapping the Game
Edmonton-Vancouver is now essentially a best-of-three series, as the action shifts back to Rogers Arena. Vancouver went 27-9-5 at home during the regular season but is just 2-3 in the playoffs.
The Canucks have covered in all four games this series as underdogs and are 8-2 against the puck line in the playoffs. Notably, they haven’t been favored since Game 5 of the opening round against Nashville, which they coincidentally lost 2-1.
Pickard has drawn a lot of praise for his Game 4 performance, and deservedly so. At the same time, it is often best not to overreact from one game to the next. So much can change on a game-by-game basis in the playoffs.
Bigger trends show Vancouver as a strong play against the puck line.
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