Predators Face Uphill Climb Against Canucks in West First Round
Predators vs Canucks Odds: Vancouver -150 Favorites to Win Series
The NHL playoff schedule gets underway this weekend, with the Vancouver Canucks hosting the Nashville Predators on Sunday (10 p.m. ET, ESPN) for the start of their first-round series in the Western Conference.
Vancouver is a -1.5 favorite (+170) on the puck line and -148 on the moneyline for Game 1, with Nashville +1.5 (-205) on the spread and +124 to win outright. Meanwhile, the projected total is 5.5 with a slight edge to the Over at -120. Bettors can get the Under at +100. The Canucks are also -150 favorites to win the series, compared to +130 for the Predators.
What should bettors expect? Read on as we break down both teams and assess the Predators vs Canucks odds in our NHL playoff series preview.
Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators 
Day/Time:
Location: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
Canucks vs Predator Betting Trends
The Nashville Predators are 43-39 against the puck line, including 23-18 away from home. A majority of Nashville’s games have trended toward the Under, as the Predators are 38-40-4 against the Over/Under. Meanwhile, the Vancouver Canucks are 41-41 ATS, including 21-20 at home. As for the Over/Under, the Canucks are 42-37-3.
It’s important to remember these betting trends when assessing the Predators vs Canucks odds.
Preds Among Biggest Longshots
After a brief hiatus last season, Nashville is back in the NHL playoffs for the ninth time in 10 years. The Predators went 47-30-5 to finish with 99 points, their most since 2018-19. As such, they outlasted defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas by one point for the top wild card spot in the National Hockey League standings.
Nashville sputtered a bit down the stretch, going 4-5-1 over its last 10 games. It allowed an average of 3.8 goals during that span.
For now, the Predators come with a great deal of skepticism. They are the biggest longshot to win the West at +1800 and have the third-longest Stanley Cup odds at +4000, ahead of only the Islanders (+5000) and Capitals (+15000).
Coached by Andrew Brunette, the Predators rank 10th in the NHL in scoring (3.24 goals/game) and 16th in power-play percentage (21.6). Their plus-21 goal differential is encouraging, but the Predators could struggle to keep pace with the high-powered Canucks.
Filip Forsberg is Nashville’s top scorer (48 goals, 94 points), slightly ahead of Roman Josi (62 assists, 85 points). Meanwhile, Juuse Saros (2.86 GAA) is the clear-cut No. 1 in net.
Nashville has been generally favorable to bettors, going 43-39 ATS. Its 24 road wins ATS are tied for third most in the NHL. Be sure to keep that in mind when analyzing the Predators vs Canucks odds.
Canucks Roll into Playoffs
Vancouver returns to the playoffs for the first time since 2019-20 after a tremendous regular season under Rick Tocchet. The Canucks went 50-22-9 and registered 109 points, their most in 12 years. The Pacific Division champions were especially dominant at home where they went 27-9-5.
The Canucks are just 5-4-1 over their last 10 games, but there shouldn’t be much concern about their ability to get hot. However, despite having the West’s third-best record, the Canucks are just +750 to win the conference. Edmonton, Colorado, Dallas and Vegas all have better odds. The Canucks are also +1600 to win the Stanley Cup, one of 11 teams priced 20/1 or better.
Generating goals isn’t an issue. The Canucks rank sixth in the NHL in scoring (3.40 goals/game) and tied for 11th in power-play percentage (22.6). Their plus-56 goal differential speaks to their dominance on both ends of the ice.
J.T. Miller is having a career year, registering 37 goals and 103 points along with a plus/minus of 32.
Thatcher Demko is fourth in save percentage (.918) and fifth in goals against average (2.45). He is also tied for second in the league with five shutouts.
Handicapping the Game
The Canucks are 3-0 against Nashville this offseason, having outscored the Predators by a combined 13-6. While that doesn’t offer much encouragement for Nashville, bettors should know that all three matchups came before the Predators’ historic 18-game point streak from Feb. 17 to April 15. During that time, the Predators outscored opponents 106-71 and earned an NHL-best 43 points.
Meanwhile, the Canucks were outscored 76-70 during that span.
Can the Predators recreate that success? It will surely be difficult, especially against a strong goaltender like Demko.
This figures to be among the more competitive series in the playoffs, though the Canucks should take care of business. Per the odds, the highest likelihood is that the series lasts six or seven games (+205).
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