NHL Best Bets: Canucks at Oilers Odds, Expert Picks and Predictions for April 13th

NHL Best Bets: Canucks at Oilers Odds, Expert Picks and Predictions for April 13th

This article is part of our NHL Picks series.

NHL Bets Tonight: Expert NHL Picks and Props for Canucks at Oilers

The Vancouver Canucks (48-22-9) travel to meet the Edmonton Oilers (48-24-6) on Saturday evening at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alta. Puck drop is scheduled for 10 p.m., and the game can be streamed on ESPN+, and viewed on CBC in Canada.

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While all eight playoff spots are spoken for in the Western Conference, and both of these teams are in, we still have a lot of hockey left before the seeding is decided. Edmonton heads into this game three points behind Vancouver, with one game in hand. The Pacific Division title won't necessarily be decided tonight, but a win by the Canucks will all but likely give them a leg up in that race in the final week. If the Oilers can win, they'd pull within a point, with three games remaining, while the Canucks would have just two games left. Needless to say, this is a HUGE game.

This is the fourth and final meeting of the regular season, and the Oilers are hoping to salvage a game in the series. Vancouver has run things, and is a major reason why it is up on Edmonton in the standings. The Canucks won 8-1 on Oct. 11 as a moderate underdog (+140), as Brock Boeser notched four goals in that victory.

In the only previous meeting this season in Edmonton, Vancouver (+200) came away with a 4-3 victory as the total (7) pushed at most shops. Sam Lafferty scored the game-winning goal at 2:56 of the third period, with goals to unlikely candidates Andrei Kuzmenko (PP), Nils Hoglander and Jack Studnicka. It was more than enough to propel Casey DeSmith to the win, and he made 37 saves to hold down the fort.

In the last meeting back on Nov. 6, the Canucks posted a 6-2 win at home as short 'dogs (+100). It was Boeser coming up big again with two power-play goals, with Thatcher Demko making 41 saves. He is sidelined, but DeSmith has done a decent job holding down the fort.

Speaking of sidelined, Connor McDavid has been out with a lower-body injury, and the team doesn't want to rush him or Sam Carrick (also out with an LBI) back, risking aggravation, and a longer absence into the postseason.

Edmonton was on the short end 3-2 in OT against the Arizona Coyotes on Friday, but the Oilers have picked up at least one point in 12 in a row at home, going 10-0-2 since a home loss to the provincial rival Calgary Flames on Feb. 24. Still, with McDavid sidelined, it looks like advantage Canucks on the moneyline.

NHL Money Line Bets for Canucks at Oilers

  • Canucks ML (-105 at DraftKings)

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As far as the total is concerned, the Over is 2-0-1 in three meetings this season between these Pacific Division combatants. Vancouver has outscored Edmonton 18-6, or an average of 6-2. That's pretty dominant.

Vancouver has cashed the Over in three in a row, averaging 3.4 goals per game (GPG), while allowing 4.3 GPG. The Over is 4-1 in the past five games for the Canucks, too.

On the flip side, Edmonton has actually cashed the Under at a 4-1-1 clip in the past six games. However, since March 21, the Over is 6-5-1 in the past 12 outings. The Over also has a slight 5-4-1 edge in the past 10 contests at home. The lean here is to the Over, especially if you can get a flat 6, or buy a half-point and play it down to 5.5.

NHL Totals Bets for Canucks at Oilers

  • Over 6 (-115 at Caesars)

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NHL Players Props for Canucks at Oilers

Since we're looking for a high-scoring game, with the potential for plenty of fire-wagon hockey, let's look at two Anytime Goal Scorers (AGS) for this battle for the Pacific Division.

Looking to the visitors, playing Brock Boeser is an absolute must. He has notched six goals and seven points with a plus-3 rating, three power-play goals and two game-winning goals in three outings against the Oilers this season. He kicked off his campaign with four goals on Opening Night back on Oct. 11, and he has added 36 ever since. He had a goal on the man advantage in that game, and he has 15 more after that. There is something about seeing the Oil that makes him go bonkers.

For the goalie DeSmith, he is going to face a lot of rubber. The Oilers took 40 shots in their OT loss to Arizona last night, and they've taken 100 total SOG in the past three outings. The target for DeSmith is O/U 26.5 saves. As such, it's a good idea to go high.

Sometimes it's an unlikely hero who comes up big. Sometimes it's a veteran who makes his presence felt, just when everybody has started to forget about him. Corey Perry has been around, and he has played in plenty of these type games. For a chance to multiply up by nearly four times, he is worth a roll of the dice.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daniel Dobish
Hockey writer, unskilled fourth liner, fantasy and gambling industry veteran, handicapper, FSWA's 2011 fantasy hockey writer of the year nominee and four-time FSWA award winner. Twitter: @danieledobish
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