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The Vancouver Canucks (32-25-11) take on the St. Louis Blues (34-28-7) Thursday. Puck drop from Enterprise Center is set for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+ / Hulu / Disney+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Canucks vs. Blues odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: Tied 1-1 with each team picking up road victories
While most eyes in the sporting world will be on March Madness, this game is possibly the most meaningful game the NHL has seen this season. These teams are tied for the second Wild Card spot at 75 points, but Vancouver has played 1 fewer game than STL. This is the final time these teams meet this season.
The Canucks rolled the Winnipeg Jets 6-2 Tuesday to snap a string of 3 losses in 5 games. RW Brock Boeser, who was rumored to be on the trade block a month ago, scored his 19th and 20th goals of the season. They won 5-2 in St. Louis Jan. 27, and the Blues won in OT 4-3 in Vancouver Dec. 10.
The Blues have been playing playoff hockey all month and are one of the best teams in the league since the Four Nations break at 9-2-2. They’ve won 3 straight after a 4-1 road win over the Nashville Predators Tuesday. RW Jordan Kyrou scored his 28th and 29th goals of the year, and LW Dylan Holloway had 3 assists. Holloway has points in 4 straight with 2 goals and 5 assists, and Kyrou has 8 points in his last 3 games with 5 goals and 3 assists.
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Canucks at Blues odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:45 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Canucks +120 (bet $100 to win $120) | Blues -145 (bet $145 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Canucks +1.5 (-225) | Blues -1.5 (+185)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5 (O: -145 | U: +120)
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Canucks at Blues projected goalies
Kevin Lankinen (24-13-7, 2.53 GAA, .904 SV%, 4 SO) vs. Jordan Binnington (21-21-4, 2.81 GAA, .897 SV%, 3 SO)
Lankinen was in net for the 6-2 win over the Jets Tuesday, stopping 20 of 22. He is 4-4-0 with a 2.63 GAA and .888 SV% in 8 March starts. This will be his fifth start in 9 days, so we’ll see if fatigue becomes an issue. He was in goal for the 5-2 win in St. Louis Jan. 27, stopping 24 of 26.
Binnington stopped 23 of 25 in the 7-2 win over Anaheim Sunday. He is 6-2-0 with a .903 SV% since the Four Nations break. One of those losses came in relief, and one was a stinker against Pittsburgh, but he has been really good since winning Gold with Canada. He was pulled in the Jan. 27 loss to the Canucks after allowing 3 goals on 18 shots in 1½ periods.
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Canucks at Blues picks and predictions
Prediction
Blues 4, Canucks 3
Moneyline
The Blues’ forecheck is the best it has been in 3 years right now, and they are winning via goal suppression. It’s a lot like the suffocation Vancouver exhibited to make it into the playoffs last year. I could see this one hitting OT, and when that happens, I’m taking Binnington every time.
Take the BLUES (-145).
Puck line/Against the spread
The Canucks are too expensive to take here. Instead, I’ll take BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE 2+ GOALS (-115). The last 3 results have been 5-2, 4-3 and 4-3.
Over/Under
I alluded to this a bit in the last section, but I’m taking the OVER 5 (-145). The Over has cashed in 3 straight meetings and is 5-4-1 overall in the last 10. Each team is 6-4 O/U in their last 10.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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