Go With the Oilers as Road Favorite in Game 1 vs Canucks
It is hard to believe that the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks have met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs only twice with the most recent meeting coming in 1992. The NHL odds have Edmonton as the road favorite in Game 1.
Vancouver won all four meetings with Edmonton during the regular season as the Canucks outscored the Oilers 21-7. Edmonton had won six of the previous seven meetings.
The NHL betting line has Edmonton priced at -130 to win Game 1 with the Oilers at +200 to cover at -1½ on the puck line. Vancouver, which hasn’t been favored against Edmonton in the previous 21 meetings, has +110 odds to win the game outright.
When looking at the NHL championship odds, Edmonton has -265 odds to win the series compared to +225 odds for the Canucks. There are +300 odds for Edmonton to win the series in six games and +325 for the Oilers to need five games. The best odds for the Canucks are +600 to win the series in seven games.
Oilers vs Canucks Game Information
- Game: Oilers vs Canucks
- Date/Time: May 8, 10 p.m. ET
- Location: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, B.C.
- Oilers vs Canucks Live Stream: NHL.com
Oilers vs Canucks Odds and Spreads
Plenty of Star Power
This is the only second-round series when each team has at least one 100-point scorer and one defenseman with at least 80 points in the regular season, so it could be a challenge for the goaltenders.
Speaking of the goalies, there are rumblings that Vancouver’s No. 1 goalie Thatcher Demko could return at some point in this series while Stuart Skinner is the goalie for the Oilers.
During the regular season, Edmonton had five players with at least two points in the four matchups with Vancouver and they were a combined -20.
Leon Draisaitl had three of Edmonton’s seven goals against the Canucks. Brock Boeser led Vancouver with six goals versus the Oilers while Quinn Hughes led the team with seven assists and eight points. All of those players figure to be popular in the player prop picks.
Hats off to Brock Boeser. 🧢 pic.twitter.com/TEaVxEtczx
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 29, 2024
Time For A History Lesson
The good news is that two teams from Canada advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The bad news is that the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks play each other in the next round so only one team north of the border will be standing after this round. This is only the fifth time in the last 18 series between Canadian teams that the series happened after the opening round.
One of those series came in 2021 when all the Canadian franchises were in the same division as a result of the global pandemic so there had to be a second-round showdown between Canadian teams.
Just one of the last eight series between teams from Canada went the distance, with five of those series ending in either four or five games.
Look at the Betting Trends
Vancouver is 4-1-1 outright and 5-1 against the puck line as the home underdog this season. Edmonton has lost six of its last 11 games as the road favorite. However, the Oilers won both games in the series with the Kings as the favorite on the road.
Here are some numbers to consider as the Canucks look to strike first at home against the rival Oilers.
- Edmonton is 49-28-7 as a favorite this season.
- Vancouver is 18-12-3 as the underdog.
- The Oilers have covered in only 16 of 43 road games.
- Vancouver has seen 23 of 44 games on home ice land under the total.
- Four of the Canucks’ last five games went under the Las Vegas NHL odds total.
- The total has gone over in four of Edmonton’s last five games.
- Nine of Vancouver’s last 13 home games went under the total.
Oilers vs Canucks Injury Update
Adam Henrique is expected to play for the Oilers in the series opener.
Vancouver goalie Thatcher Demko could be getting close to a return.
What to Look for
There have been plenty of games in this year’s playoffs when scoring chances have been limited. Don’t expect that to be the case when the Oilers and the Canucks get together. While many of the games in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs will have 5½-goal totals, with all the high-end talent on these teams, it is not a surprise to see Game 1 with a 6-goal total.
Both teams had higher points percentages at home than they did on the road so the first team to win away from home could take control of this series and be the last Canadian team standing.
Edmonton leads the playoffs by converting on 45% of its power plays and the Oilers are the only team yet to allow a power-play goal against, so special teams could favor the Oilers.
Oilers vs Canucks Game 1 Prediction
Questions of the Day
What happened the last time the Oilers and the Canucks met in a playoff series?
Edmonton won 4-2 in the second round of the 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs with the Oilers winning all three games in Vancouver.
What are good player prop options for Game 1 of the Oilers-Canucks series on May 8?
Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers has lit the lamp more frequently against the Canucks this season than any of his teammates so consider the prop bets for goals, points and shots on goal. It is the same deal with Vancouver’s Brock Boeser.
