The NHL is finally set to return to the ice on Wednesday, Jan. 13 in what will be a sprint all the way to the finish in a shortened year. As we get closer to game time, it should be a compelling regular season as each Canadian team is featured inside the same division. Leading up to Game 1, we will provide a betting preview for all seven Canadian teams in the NHL. Here, we will break down the odds for the Vancouver Canucks.
2021 NHL season format
This season’s schedule is being impacted due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that suspended the NHL season for months. The 2019-20 season shut down operations in March and returned, crowning a Stanley Cup champion in late September. Each team is scheduled to play a 56-game schedule with the the divisions split up into four groups. Teams will play only divisional games, and it was necessary to put all Canadian teams into the same division because of the travel restrictions due to the coronavirus.
The regular season is scheduled to end on May 8, and the playoffs will include 16 teams playing four rounds of best-of-seven series with the Stanley Cup expected to be awarded in July.
With all that said, here’s a betting preview for the upcoming Vancouver Canucks 2021 season.
Vancouver Canucks Betting Preview
There are plenty of futures betting options for gamblers to take a look at for the NHL season but here, we’re just going to take a look at the odds as it pertains to the Canucks and their players. All odds are via a popular United States sportsbook.
Team Futures
Championship winner: Vancouver is tied for 14th at +3000 odds to win the Stanley Cup. The Colorado Avalanche are the betting favorites this season at +650 odds.
Division winner: To win the all-Canadian North Division, the Canucks have the fifth best odds out of the seven teams with +800 odds. The Toronto Maple Leafs are the favorites at +125.
To make the playoffs: The sportsbook is suggesting there’s roughly a 50% chance Vancouver will advance to the postseason with “yes” getting -112 odds and “no” at -114. The Avalanche have the best chance at advancing with -835 odds to compete in the playoffs.
Regular season points: The season points total for the Canucks is set at 61.5 with -112 odds on each side. Colorado’s total is the highest, set at 76.5.
Player Futures
Hart Memorial Trophy: To win the trophy given to the player judged to be the most valuable to his team, Elias Pettersson has the sixth best odds to win the Hart Memorial Trophy at +1800 odds.. Connor McDavid has the best odds at +450 to win the award.
Vezina Trophy: Vancouver goaltender Braden Holtby is in a three-way tie for the 21st best odds to win the award given to the best goaltender at +2300 odds. Andrei Vasilevskiy is the betting favorite at +650.
Adams Award: Canucks head coach Travis Green is getting the 27th best odds to win the Adams Award, and Jared Bednar is the favorite with +800 odds.
Game 1 Betting Odds
The Canucks will get their regular season started on Wednesday, Jan. 13 with a road matchup with the Edmonton Oilers. This is one of five games getting started on the first day of the NHL regular season. This game is set to get started at 10 p.m. ET.
Spread: Vancouver is set at +1.5 underdogs with -220 odds to cover that number with the Oilers at -1.5 with +180 odds to cover.
Moneyline: Vancouver is getting +118 odds as the underdog to win this game on the moneyline, while Edmonton is at -136 to pull off an outright victory as slight favorites.
Total: The total for this game is set at 6.5 with -105 odds going to the over and -117 for the under.
