The Vancouver Canucks have won two of their last three games against some of the league’s strongest teams like the Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche. Tonight, they take on the Utah Hockey Club, who have quietly won four out of their last five games.
This should be a tightly played, back-and-forth game, but my Cancuks vs. Utah predictions still expect some goals to find twine.
Find out why with my NHL picks on Wednesday, December 18th ahead of this 10 p.m. puck drop on Sportsnet Pacific.
Canucks vs Utah Hockey Club prediction
My Canucks pick
Over 6 (+104 at Pinnacle)
My Canucks analysis
The Vancouver Canucks have been nowhere near the team that they were last year, but some key players — notably, Thatcher Demko and J.T. Miller — have missed time.
Over their last 10 games, the offense hasn’t been a concern. While the Canucks have gone 5-3-2, they’re scoring 3.30 goals per game and the power-play is converting at a 28% success rate.
Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, and Jake DeBrusk have been the main contributors to the offensive production as of late. Hughes has notched 15 points during this span (three goals, 12 assists), Pettersson has added 11 points (two goals, nine assists), and DeBrusk has been on fire with eight goals and one helper. DeBrusk has gone without a goal in two straight but has scored in six of his last nine.
Vancouver sits in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but this group's road record stands out, going 10-2-1 on the highway.
Demko is coming off his first win of the season after missing 27 games due to injury. He made 30 saves against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night, boosting the Canucks to a 3-1 victory, but his overall first three games haven't been that strong. Demko is 1-1-1 with a .881 SV% and a 3.32 goals-against average. It will certainly take him a few more games to get back into his typical rhythm. Demko is expected to get the nod tonight.
While the Canucks offense has been clicking lately, their defense and goaltending have not been where it needs to be. Vancouver is allowing 3.10 goals per game over their last 10. Allowing goals has been common for this team, but it doesn’t make much sense because they have been pretty strong when it comes to defending against high-danger chances.
The Canucks are underperforming when it comes to team defense. They’re only expected to give up just 2.71 goals per game but have been allowing 3.03 at all strengths.
On the other side, the Utah Hockey Club have scored at least four goals in five straight. Over the past two weeks, Utah has been the third-highest-scoring team in the NHL, averaging 4.20 goals with a power-play percentage of 42.9%.
Over their past eight games, Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley, and Clayton Keller have been on a tear. Guenther and Cooley have both scored three goals with six assists in that span while Keller has notched four goals — three on the PP — with four helpers.
Karel Vejmelka is getting the nod tonight for Utah, and his numbers have been quite impressive. His record is not a good representation of how he has played. Vejmelka has skated to a 6-7-2 record with a 2.40 goals against average and a .915 save percentage.
That said, Vejmelka has a .905 save percentage in his last three starts and has given up eight goals against on 84 shots.
Canucks vs Utah Hockey Club odds analysis
Utah is a slight home favorite at -116 with the Canucks around +105 as the visiting team. Vancouver has played better on the road than at home, which could be offsetting Utah's recent run of strong play.
The total opened at 5.5. With money coming in on the Over, that number has jumped to 6.0. With how well both offenses have played paired with how wobbly the defensive ends have looked, this movement makes sense.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Canucks vs Utah Hockey Club odds
Canucks vs Utah Hockey Club live odds
Canucks vs Utah Hockey Club opening odds
- Puck line: Vancouver +1.5 (-255) | Utah -1.5 (+213)
- Moneyline: Vancouver +104 | Utah -117
- Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-119) | Under 5.5 (+104)
Odds courtesy of Pinnacle
Canucks vs Utah Hockey Club trend
The over has hit in 60% of the Canucks last 10 games. Find more NHL betting trends for Canucks vs. Utah Hockey Club.
How to watch Canucks vs Utah Hockey Club
| Location: | Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT |
| Date: | Wednesday, 12-18-2024 |
| Puck drop: | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Sportsnet Pacific |
Canucks vs Utah Hockey Club latest injuries
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