Gila River Arena is playing host a divisional matchup as the Vancouver Canucks visit Arizona to meet the Coyotes. The action will get going at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 11, and it’s being shown live on Fox Sports Arizona.
Vancouver Canucks at Arizona Coyotes Odds
Vancouver is 25-43 straight up (SU) and has lost 11.6 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 68 regular season matches, 40 of its games have gone over the total, while 28 have gone under and none have pushed. The Nucks are 13-20 SU on the road in 2017-18.
Vancouver has converted on 21.5 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that places them in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 25th overall, and it’s successfully killed off only 77.3 percent of its penalties.
The Nucks, as a collective unit, have been penalized 3.8 times per game this season, and 2.8 per game over its last five contests. The team has been forced to stave off opponent power plays just 8.1 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 26.1 saves per game with a .910 save percentage, Jacob Markstrom (18-32-7) has been the primary option in goal for Vancouver this season. If head coach Travis Green chooses to rest him, however, the team could roll with Anders Nilsson (7-17-3 record, .901 save percentage, 3.52 goals against average).
Brock Boeser and Daniel Sedin will both lead the offensive attack for the visiting Canucks. Boeser (55 points) has tallied 29 goals and 26 assists, and has recorded two or more points in 11 different games. Sedin has 21 goals and 26 assists to his credit (and has logged a point in 32 games).
On the other side of the rink, Arizona is 21-46 straight up (SU) and has lost 17.8 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 67 regular season contests, 35 of its games have gone under the total, while 30 have gone over and just one has pushed. The team is 12-22 SU at home this year.
The Coyotes have converted on just 16.0 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a mark that’s ranked 28th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 21st overall, and it’s successfully killed off 79.4 percent of all penalties.
Coyotes players have been sent to the penalty box only 3.3 times per game in total this season, and 4.0 per game over their last five home outings. The team’s had to stave off opponent power plays 10.2 minutes per contest over their last five home games.
Antti Raanta has stopped 26.8 shots per game as the top netminder in goal for the Coyotes. Raanta has 16 wins, 23 losses, and six overtime losses to his credit and has registered a 2.43 goals against average and a .924 save percentage this season.
The home team offense will be led by Clayton Keller (18 goals, 30 assists).
Vancouver Canucks vs. Arizona Coyotes Betting Predictions
Pick: SU Winner – Coyotes, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes
38.1 percent of Arizona’s wins have come by two or more goals (the team is 8-27 overall in such games) while 68.0 percent of Vancouver’s wins have come by two goals or more (17-28 overall in such games).
Penalties and power plays could prove to be even more critical than usual in the outcome of this one. The Canucks are 9-12 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 15-31 in games where they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 minutes, total. The Coyotes are 9-19 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 15-33 when total penalty minutes are in the single digits.
Arizona is 1-5 in games decided by a shootout this season while Vancouver is 0-3 in shootouts.
The under has hit in three of Arizona’s last five outings.
Arizona is ranked 6th this season with 7.1 giveaways per game. That figure has trended lower lately, however, as it’s averaged 5.9 giveaways over its last 10 games and 4.6 giveaways over its last five.
Vancouver has averaged 4.2 giveaways over its last five home games, an improvement from its season average of 8.2 giveaways per game (the ninth-fewest in the league).
The Coyotes this season have handed the fifth-most hits in the NHL (24.4 per game).
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