Vancouver Canucks vs Minnesota Wild Betting Pick & Prediction 12/16/23

Don’t miss out on the NHL showdown between the Canucks and Wild. The game is starting at 2:00 ET on BSN, and it’s hosted by the Wild at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. Get ready to place your bets! The odds for this Western conference game currently have the Wild as the betting favorite with the over/under line sitting at 6.5 goals.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS VS MINNESOTA WILD BETTING PICK

The Pick: Minnesota Wild -1.5

This game will be played at Xcel Energy Center at 2:00 ET on Saturday, December 16th.

WHY BET THE MINNESOTA WILD:

• Despite being 1.5 goal underdogs, we predict the Canucks to come out on top with a final score of 4-3.
• We like the Canucks on the moneyline (-107)
• The Canucks are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Are the Canucks Ready for a Win at St. Paul?

So far this season, the Canucks have an overall record of 20-9-1. On the road, Vancouver is 8-6-0 and 12-3-1 at home. In the Western Pacific division, they are currently 2nd, and in the Western conference, they come into the game sitting 2nd.

Analyzing their performance against the puck line, Vancouver has a 21-9 record. On the road they are 9-5 against the puck line, while their overall home performance is12-4. Games involving Vancouver have an average of 6.3 goals per game this season. Their average over/under line is 6.4. In terms of their over/under performance, the Canucks come in with a record of 17-11-2.

In their last three road games, Vancouver has averaged 4 goals per game while allowing 2. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.

Offensively, the Canucks come into the game at 3.8 goals per contest placing 1st in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 25th position in the league. The Vancouver offense is ranked 2nd in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they find themselves at 11th in the NHL.

Vancouver’s leading goal scorer is Brock Boeser. So far this season, he has 22 goals, placing him 2nd in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, Boeser has 14 assists this season.

The Wild defense is currently 26th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 30.1 shots per game against Minnesota. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 15th with 2 shutouts.

Entering the game, goalie Thatcher Demko has started 22 games this season. His current record stands at 15-7, and his save percentage is 0.956%.

Will Minnesota Pull Through as the Favored Home Team?

This season, the Wild have an overall record of 11-12-4. On the road, Minnesota holds a 5-8-2 mark, and they are 6-4-2 when playing at home. At the moment, they hold the 7th spot in the Western Central division and are ranked 13th in the Western conference.

When it came to the puck line, Minnesota heads in with a 15-12 record. On the road, their mark is 9-6 and their overall home performance is 6-6 vs. the puck line. On average, Minnesota’s games have finished with 6.4 goals per game. The season’s average over/under line stands at 6.4. In total, the Wild come in with an over/under record of 13-12-2.

In their last three home games, Minnesota has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 2. The team’s record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 2-1.

When looking at their offense, the Wild have an average of 3.1 goals per game this season, positioning themselves 27th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are ranked 28th in the league. Minnesota’s offense comes into the game ranked 22nd in power play goals. And in terms of shorthanded goals, they are 23rd in the NHL.

Minnesota’s leading scorer is Joel Eriksson Ek. So far, he has 14 goals which is 17th in the NHL. Eriksson Ek also comes into the game with 7 assists.

Defensively, the Wild are currently 26th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 30.1 shots per game against Minnesota. They also are 15th in shutouts, coming in with 2 shutouts.

Entering the game, goalie Filip Gustavsson has started 17 games this season. His current record stands at 7-7, and his save percentage is 0.778%.