The Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks tangle in a pivotal Game 3 in their Western Conference qualifying round series Thursday at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The puck is scheduled to drop at 2:30 p.m. ET on NHL Network. We analyze the Wild-Canucks’ NHL betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Series: Tied 1-1.
Wild vs. Canucks: Projected starting goalies
Alex Stalock vs. Jacob Markstrom
Stalock sparkled in Game 1, posting his first career playoff shutout by stopping all 28 shots he faced in a 3-0 win. He tumbled back to Earth in Game 2 Tuesday, coughing up four goals on 28 shots. His Game 2 showing wasn’t terrible, and one of the goals he allowed was of the power-play variety.
Markstrom kicked aside 32 of the 35 shots he faced in Game 2, although the red-hot Kevin Fiala beat him for a pair of late goals. He has been decent enough in the series, posting a .923 save percentage with 60 saves on 65 shots. If Vancouver is going to advance, Markstrom is going to have to carry this team with his play in the crease. They have two decent scoring lines and then they have to rely mostly on defense and goaltending to win.
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Wild vs. Canucks: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 8 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Wild 3, Canucks 2
Moneyline (ML)
The WILD (-112) and Canucks (-106) have been locked in a pretty entertaining series so far. We’ve had a little bit of everything through two games, including a shutout, a fight, a multi-goal game and a shorthanded marker. Right now, Minnesota has one of the top offensive players going, as Fiala has netted three goals in two games. The Wild have been more balanced to date, and they’ll ride that balance past the top-heavy Canucks.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Wild returns a profit of $9, while a $10 wager on the Canucks fetches a return of $9.50.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The Wild (-1, +170) are a tempting play on the pick line, as you can nearly double your initial stake if they’re able to win by two goals. This important Game 3 should be a hard-hitting, lower-scoring affair with both teams taking few chances. This will be a one-goal game, and it could be decided in overtime. PASS.
Over/Under (O/U)
UNDER 5.5 (-121) is the play for a multitude of reasons. The Over/Under has split in the first two in this series, both later puck drops. This contest will kick off at 12:30 p.m. local time, a very early start for both of these Western Conference clubs.
And keep this in mind, the Under is 5-2 in Minnesota’s past seven playoff games as a favorite.
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