Wild vs Canucks Prediction, , Stream, Odds and Picks, Mar 02
The Minnesota Wild take a 2-0 series lead on the season against the Vancouver Canucks into Thursday’s intraconference showdown at Rogers Arena.
Between the Wild’s stellar form and Vancouver’s woes, the markets are cornering this game with Minnesota. Will the Wild come through on their favorable odds? Is the best bet on the moneyline? Puck line? Total?
Join us as we weigh in on this game and serve up NHL news, and NHL picks alongside the most up-to-date NHL odds.
Wild Riding Two-Game Winning Streak
Minnesota is second in the Central Division behind a 34-21-6 mark and 74 points from 61 games. The Wild are just a point shy of the division-leading Dallas Stars (75). Equally, they’re a point clear of the third-place Colorado Avalanche (73).Recent form stands on a solid 7-1-2 mark from their last 10 games and includes a seven-game point streak. The only hiccup during this stretch was a 2-1 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday.
The Wild are coming off a 2-1 shootout win over the New York Islanders at the Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday night. It was a close affair from start to finish between two physical teams with playoff credentials. The Islanders scored at 14:!5 in the first period courtesy of Josh Bailey, but less than four minutes later they were tied up thanks to Ryan Reaves, who scored his first goal of the season.
Goaltending and defense dominated the next two periods and overtime as both teams went scoreless over 45 minutes. The deadlock was finally broken by Frederick Gaudreau’s shootout goal that gave Minnesota the precious two points. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 39 saves and stopped two shots in the shootout.
Canucks Coming Off Rare Win
Vancouver is 24-31-5 on the season with 53 points from 60 games. The Canucks are sixth in the Pacific Division, five points clear of the San Jose Sharks and six points clear of bottom feeders Anaheim.
Recent form is a hodgepodge of inconsistency and conflicting performance, standing on a 4-5-1 mark from their last 10 games. That said, the Canucks are coming off a rare win against a respectable opponent in the Stars.
The Canucks surprised the Stars and turned the NHL betting market on its head with a 5-4 overtime win in Dallas on Tuesday night. Andrei Kuzmenko proved to be the hero, scoring 48 seconds into extra time to give Vancouver a victory few believed they’d be capable of taking.
Anthony Beauviller scored twice while Sheldon Dries and Vasily Podkolzin also scored a goal apiece. Thatcher Demko’s return for the Canucks proved to be the
reassuring presence between the pipes that they’ve been missing since early December. The starter stopped 34 of 38 shots.
Wild vs Canucks Game Injuries
Minnesota is 7-2-1 versus Vancouver in the last 10 games while the Canucks are 3-4-3 during this same stretch and the total is split evenly between the over and under (5-5-0).
This season, the Wild have had Vancouver’s number. They took the 4-3 win at home on Oct. 20. Then, they shut out the Canucks 3-0 in their house on Dec. 10.
Wild vs Canucks Game Information
- Game: Wild (34-21-6) vs Canucks (24-31-5)
- Location: Rogers Arena, Vancouver
- Day/Time: Thursday, March 2, 10:07 p.m. ET
- Wild vs Canucks Live Stream: NHL.TV
Wild vs Canucks Betting Lines
Wild vs Canucks Picks and Prediction
The gap in quality and talent between these two teams is plainly evident. not to mention the Wild are legitimate contenders whereas the Canucks are a redevelopment project after yet another failed season.
Given the contrasting realities in play here, it’s not surprising at all to discover that the betting online markets are skewed toward visitors. Yes, the Canucks will be buoyed by their noteworthy victory over the Stars. But backing it up is another matter entirely.
The moneyline betting market (see breakdown below) offers value on both sides of the coin. But for those bettors that are buying what the Wild is selling, the puck line, where Minnesota is tipped on a -1½ line and juiced to +155, has an extra angle of profit that is worth a flutter.
Minnesota is listed at -165 in our Vegas lines. So, if you wager $100 on the Wild, there’s a chance to win $61. Vancouver is 145, with a chance to win $145 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Minnesota a 62.26% chance to win, with the Canucks at 40.82%.
