NHL Best Bets: Avalanche vs. Canucks Game Picks

The defending Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche are trying to get back in the playoff picture tonight when they visit the Vancouver Canucks.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

It certainly hasn’t been a season to remember for the Avalanche, where they sit ninth in the Western Conference and outside of a playoff spot. That wasn’t what anyone expected of this team with the talent they boast, but injuries and inconsistencies have really hampered this unit. The Avs are trying to get out of this rut as they slowly get some of their star talent back, which has helped lead them to three straight victories and a 4-5-1 record over their past ten games. On the other hand, the Vancouver Canucks have been aboard the struggle bus for at least a few stops, which has seen them post a 2-8 record over that same sample size. 

These teams have been relatively disappointing, but for highly different reasons when you factor in their respective expectations. Even more interesting is that these teams have already faced off twice, which has seen the Canucks pick up two victories and outscore Colorado 8-5. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup tonight, the visiting Avalanche are expected to continue riding Alexandar Georgiev, while the Canucks should do the same with Spencer Martin. The Avs netminder has posted a 17-11-3 record, paired with a .916 save percentage, while Martin is sitting at 11-11-1, along with a .877 save percentage. Knowing the matchup, it’s hard to say that Georgiev doesn’t have a sizable advantage in this matchup tonight. 

The Avalanche are simply the better team, and it’s about time they begin to act like it. They’ve lacked consistency for a large portion of the year but picked things up of late, and that should continue against this struggling Canucks team. As a result, there’s value here in backing the visitors at -166 on the moneyline. 

Best Bet: Avalanche moneyline (-166) 

The first matchup in the season series saw seven goals scored, while the second saw them combine for six. The total for tonight’s Game 3 is set at 6.5, with the over juicing up at -134 and the under sitting at +110. Over the Avalanche’s past five games, three have seen seven or more goals scored, while the Canucks have seen that transpire in each of their previous five. Throughout that stretch, that Canucks have continued to give up goals at a high rate and allowed four or more in four of those five games. That gives us a story for how this should play out tonight, especially considering the Avs offense has been much better of late. 

Best Bet: Over 6.5 (-134) 

There’s no question about it. This Avalanche offense is much more talented than their 21st ranking in goals suggests. People who don’t know the whole story of their season will find that number puzzling, but they’ve continued to improve it lately, and there’s reason to be bullish about their offensive moving forward. Nathan MacKinnon is playing some great hockey and has tallied eleven points over the Avs last five games to lead the club. With the recent surge in points for MacKinnon, there’s definite value in backing him to light the lamp against a struggling Canucks squad at +108. 

Best Prop: Nathan MacKinnon to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+108)