Minnesota Wild (8-10-4) vs. Vancouver Canucks (16-8-1)
Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks 12/7/23 – The Minnesota Wild take on the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 10 PM ET at Rogers Arena. The Wild sit near the bottom of the Central division standings while the Canucks lead the Pacific division. This NHL free advice, previews the betting odds and key analysis for both teams.
The Wild offense ranks 21st in the league, led by veteran winger Mats Zuccarello. His playmaking ability poses a threat against Vancouver’s 18th-ranked defense. However, Minnesota struggles producing goals and its special teams have been poor. Meanwhile, the Canucks boast a top-10 offense with weapons like J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. Their firepower should challenge Minnesota’s subpar defensive group.
Vancouver’s offense averages 3.48 goals per game, fueled by the stellar play of Miller and Pettersson. They face a Wild defense ranked 25th in goals against per game. While Minnesota plays well defending leads, their blue line lacks depth to contain multiple scoring lines. Additionally, the Wild penalty kill hovers at just 73% effectiveness. The Canucks power play clicks at nearly 30% and should create opportunities.
Minnesota Wild vs Vancouver Canucks Game Info
| When: | Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 10:00 PM ET |
| Where: | Rogers Arena |
| TV: | |
| Stream: | NHL.TV |
Goaltender Filip Gustavsson vs. Goaltender Thatcher Demko
Gustavsson assumed the starting role after Marc-Andre Fleury struggled mightily to open the year. While his .891 save percentage seems mediocre on the surface, the young netminder has faced a barrage of high-danger changes behind Minnesota’s porous defense. Despite the heavy workload, Gustavsson showed resilience carrying the Wild through several early season contests. If Minnesota tightens up defensively, Gustavsson certainly has the quickness and talent to steal games. His lateral movements and push-slide ability allow him to make spectacular, acrobatic saves. However, Vancouver’s deep offense packed with elite scoring talent presents an extremely tough challenge for the young goalie tonight. He will need to be sharp and receive plenty of goal support for the Wild to hang around.
At the other end, Demko continues his emergence as an elite NHL starter this season, maintaining a sparkling .924 save percentage and 2.26 GAA through 18 starts. He excels using his size, athleticism and technical ability to make both routine and spectacular saves. Demko sees the puck extremely well through traffic, allowing him to effectively track rebounds and tips in front. He also possesses a quick glove hand to rob shooters up high. Demko has allowed two or fewer goals in five of his past six starts, firmly backstopping Vancouver to the top of their division standings. While Minnesota plays a sound team defense, they lack the dynamic offensive punch to seriously test Demko right now. His strong play gives the Canucks a major advantage between the pipes this evening.
NHL Odds/Point Spread: TBD
The betting odds are not yet available, but the game is likely to favor the Canucks, given their superior record and performance. Bettors should keep a close eye on the puckline and moneyline as they emerge for insights into market expectations and potential value bets.
Minnesota Wild Betting Trends
The Wild have shown mixed results recently, with a slightly better performance against the spread than in outright results. The total has gone OVER in a good number of their games, indicating a tendency towards higher-scoring outcomes.
Vancouver Canucks Betting Trends
The Canucks have been strong in their recent games, both overall and against the spread, particularly in their home games. However, their games have not consistently resulted in high scores, as indicated by the total going OVER in only a few of their recent games.
Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks 12/7/23 Betting Picks
Considering the current form and betting trends, the Canucks appear to have the upper hand in this matchup. Their strong offensive and defensive play, coupled with the Wild’s struggles, suggests that Vancouver is likely to control the game.
For multi-expert picks, the focus might be on the Canucks’ ability to capitalize on their home advantage and the Wild’s need to elevate their game. Prop bets on individual performances, especially those of team leaders, and over/under bets should be considered, given the teams’ scoring trends.
Free Pick and Prediction: Vancouver Canucks 4, Minnesota Wild 2