The Vancouver Canucks have taken 17 of a possible 18 points over their last nine games and will continue their five-game homestand tonight as they welcome the St. Louis Blues, who are fresh off a come-from-behind 4-3 win in Calgary last night.
It’s a tough travel spot for the visitors who will likely turn to their backup in Joel Hofer vs. a Vancouver offense scoring 3.6 goals per game over its last 10. The Canucks also boast a +14 goal differential and the second-best point percentage behind the Oilers.
With some of the poorest defensive metrics at 5-on-5 and without their No. 1 goalie, is it time to pivot off the Blues tonight?
I break down the NHL odds and offer my free NHL picks for Blues vs. Canucks on Wednesday, January 24.
Blues vs Canucks odds
Blues vs Canucks predictions
Last night, I bet the Over 6 in St. Louis Blues vs. Calgary Flames because of the Blues' (and Flames') terrible defensive metrics at 5-on-5. The Blues currently rank 29th in expected goals against/60 since Christmas and the play of Jordan Binnington in net has hidden those issues.
With tonight being the second game of a back-to-back, St. Louis likely won’t have the benefit of relying on its No. 1 netminder and the Vancouver Canucks’ offense could run up the score vs. Joel Hofer and this traveling team.
Hofer has seen the opposing team score four goals in eight of his 12 starts. Even in a 3-1 game, Vancouver will have a great chance at an empty-netter to hit the team total Over 3.5 at -137. It’s a better price than their win in regulation odds of -143 but both project similarly in this spot.
The St. Louis offense is still struggling, ranking 29th in expected goals for/60 at 5-on-5 since the Christmas break. It is scoring fewer goals per game than Columbus, Montreal, and Anaheim.
I’d love to hit the Canucks’ team total Over 4.5 at +160, but I’m afraid the St. Louis offense won’t push enough scoring. But Vancouver is tied for fourth in the league in empty-net goals with 11.
With the Blues coming off a big win last night, struggling to be a consistent winning team, traveling West across one time zone, and having a terrible matchup vs. an elite offense with its backup, this Vancouver Over 3.5 total goals is my favorite play even with the 37 points of tax.
If that is out of your buy-point, the Over flat 4 is +115 and the next-best option in terms of betting on this offensive matchup.
My best bet: Vancouver team total Over 3.5 (-137 at Sports Interaction)
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Blues vs Canucks same-game parlay
Canucks -0.5 first period
Canucks -2.5
The Canucks are +165 to cover the -2.5, which might seem like a big number. But with the Blues' scoring woes, a 4-1 win is in the sight and almost every team gets a shot at an empty net when winning by two goals.
Vancouver has been a great first-period team, cashing the prop in 48 of its last 83 games for +29.15 units. Their 62 goals in the first frame over 47 games pace the league. This is a decent price for what is basically a wire-to-wire win with some late scoring.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Blues vs Canucks moneyline and Over/Under analysis
The Canucks opened at -220 and shortened up to around -240 by noon Wednesday. It’s a massive schedule advantage for the home side who will be playing its fourth home game of a five-game set.
St. Louis is coming off a 4-3 win in Calgary last night and the travel West will take them across one time zone. Vancouver closed as a -150 road favorite in the last meeting on January 2. With home ice being worth 15-20 points plus a similar price for the back-to-back, that puts the Canucks at roughly -220 which is right where they opened.
Vancouver has the No. 4 point percentage since the break at 9-2-1 with a +14 goal differential, the No. 8 offense in goals per game, and special teams that add up to 109.6%.
St. Louis, on the other hand, is 16th on point percentage at 6-5-1, has a -4 goal differential, the No. 29 offense in goals per game, and special teams total of 96.8%.
This is a battle between an elite team in Vancouver with a Top-3 goalie vs. a Bottom-10 club that is likely without its best player in Binnington. The last time St. Louis was in Vancouver this year, they lost 5-0 and were outshot 35-22.
Vancouver is coming off a 2-0 shutout vs. Chicago and has allowed just five goals over its last four wins. The Blues are also coming off a win and poor teams like them struggle to put wins together, especially on the road and across time zones. St. Louis is 8-13 SU following a win and 2-3 SU on the second game of back-to-back but with wins over Montreal and Anaheim. Vancouver’s 5-0 win over the Blues was also on the second game of a back-to-back for St. Louis.
This game reeks of one-sided scoring, which is why the St. Louis team total Under 2.5 is priced at -140. It’s a bad spot and because of the projected lack of scoring for the dogs, it’s tough to get excited about the Over 6.5. The Vancouver team total is the way to go if you must make a total bet.
It could be tough sledding for the Blues in the first frame as well as the Canucks have a +21% on the 1P moneyline over their last 83 games.
Blues vs Canucks betting trend to know
The Vancouver Canucks have hit the 1P Moneyline in 48 of their last 83 games (+29.15 Units / 27% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Blues vs. Canucks.
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Blues vs Canucks game info
| Location: | Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC |
| Date: | Wednesday, January 24, 2024 |
| Puck drop: | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | SNP, BSMW |
Blues vs Canucks latest injuries
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