The Winnipeg Jets will head on the road to visit the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, Feb. 19 for the start of a two-game series between the two teams. The game will get started at 10 p.m. ET from Rogers Arena with the second game on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 10 p.m. ET.
Game Preview
Winnipeg comes into Friday’s game with a 9-6-1 record for 20 points, which ranks fourth in the seven-team, all-Canadian North Division. The Jets are one point behind the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers. The Jets have lost two of their last three games, most recently a 6-5 road loss to the Oilers on Monday.
Winnipeg and Edmonton split their two-game set, and the Jets never led and the game was never tied aside from 0-0. The Oilers went ahead 2-0 in the first period, and Leon Draisaitl scored two goals for Edmonton. Mark Scheifele and Neal Pionk scored goals for the Jets. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck saved 27 of 30 shots in the loss.
Vancouver will enter with an 8-11-1 record for 17 points, which is tied with the Calgary Flames for fifth place in the division, ahead of only the Ottawa Senators. The Canucks have gone through a rough month of February, losing their first five games this month, though they split the series 2-2 in four consecutive games against Calgary. Vancouver beat the Flames 5-1 on the road Wednesday night.
Brock Boeser led the Canucks in the victory, finishing with one goal and two assists. Bo Harvat and J.T. Miller both scored for Vancouver with one assist for each. In addition, Jordie Benn and Nate Schmidt added a goal in the Canucks’ victory. Braden Holtby saved 35 of 36 shot attempts for Vancouver.
Winnipeg and Vancouver met just one time this season, a 4-1 road victory for the Canucks on Jan. 30 at Bell MTS Place. Boeser scored two goals in the game for Vancouver, and Thatcher Demko saved 23 of 24 shot for the Canucks in the victory.
The Canucks and Jets will play one another six more times following this two-game series and will see each other again on March 1 for two games in Winnipeg.
After this series, the Jets will return to Winnipeg for a four-game homestand. For Vancouver, it will wrap up its four-game homestand with two more home games.
Injury Report
For Vancouver, Justin Bailey, Michael Ferland, Travis Hamonic and Tyler Motte are on injured reserve and out indefinitely.
On Winnipeg’s side, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Nate Thompson are on the injured reserve list and are out indefinitely. Bryan Little will miss the entire season.
Winnipeg Jets vs. Vancouver Canucks Betting Preview
As we get closer to game time on Friday, here’s a look at some of the betting odds and trends heading into the matchup. All odds are via a popular United States sportsbook.
Puck Line
The Canucks come in at +205 on the -1.5 puck line with the Jets at -250 to cover +1.5 goals.
Betting Trends: Of Vancouver’s eight wins this season, seven of them came by more than 1.5 goals. Winnipeg has lost by more than 1.5 goals twice this season through 16 games.
Total Goals
The oddsmakers set the over/under on the total number of goals scored in this game at six with the over getting -125 odds and the under at +102.
Betting Trends: The total went under in five of Winnipeg’s last seven games, and the under hit in four of Vancouver’s last six. In the last seven meetings between these two teams, the total went under six times.
Moneyline
The Canucks moneyline odds show the team is the favorite to get the win at home on Friday night with odds at -121, and Winnipeg is getting +104 odds.
Betting Trends: Vancouver is 2-7 straight up in its last nine games. Winnipeg is 10-1 straight up in its last 11 games against Vancouver.
