Detroit Red Wings at Vancouver Canucks odds, picks and predictions
The Detroit Red Wings (27-19-6) and Vancouver Canucks (36-12-6) tangle Thursday. The tilt at Rogers Arena is slated for a 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+) opening faceoff. Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Red Wings vs. Canucks odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Red Wings opened a 4-game western road trip with a shaky performance at Edmonton Tuesday. The Oilers defeated Detroit 8-4. Starting Red Wings G Alex Lyon had his club embroiled in a 3-3 contest heading into the 3rd period. He was then touched up for 4 goals and was pulled with 9 minutes remaining.
The Canucks also played Tuesday, turning aside the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 while filing 38 shots on goal, their most in a single game since Jan. 6. The victory came in the final game of a 5-game road trip that saw Vancouver go 3-1-1. Thursday’s contest marks the Canucks’ 1st on home ice since Jan. 27.
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Red Wings at Canucks odds
BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:25 a.m. ET.
Red Wings at Canucks projected goalies
Alex Lyon (14-7-2, 2.76 GAA, .915 SV%, 2 SO) vs. Thatcher Demko (29-9-1, 2.44 GAA, .919 SV%, 5 SO)
Lyon is looking to bounce back from Tuesday’s clunker and return to the type of performance he displayed last month. Over his previous 12 games, the 31-year-old had registered a nifty .924 SV%.
Demko received Vezina Trophy votes in 2021-22 but is having an even better season this year, his 7th in the league. He started 4 games of Vancouver’s recent road trip and clocked a .904 SV%.
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Red Wings at Canucks picks and predictions
Prediction
Red Wings 3, Canucks 2
The middle game of Vancouver’s trip was at Detroit Saturday, and the Red Wings beat the Canucks 4-3 in overtime. The win for Detroit marked its 5th in a row against Vancouver.
Peg the Canucks as being too far out over their skis with how their record matches up with expected goals for and against. In that same respect, the Wings have logged under-the-radar-but-impressive performances in 2 of their last 3 games, particularly at the offensive end.
Analytics figure the goaltender match-up as being a Demko edge but by a closer margin, shot for shot, than what surface numbers reveal.
BACK DETROIT (+150).
Detroit is 15-9 ATS on the road.
The probability of a lower-scoring, tight game is relatively high here. Demko owns a robust .929 SV% at home. Lyon was touched up by a slew of goals in the slot the last couple games, but he has that stellar January stretch up close in his rearview mirror.
The PL price on the Wings is solid. Bettors wanting to hedge on the Detroit side might consider RED WINGS +1.5 (-155) with a half-unit and coupling that with a half-unit on the ML play above.
Shading toward an Under but respecting the fact the last 3 Wings-Canucks games have reached 7 goals. PASS, but consider the Under at 6.5 if the return gets to +110 or better.
