Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon Sport
Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers Game 3: Western Conference Playoffs – Second Round
The Edmonton Oilers are slight favorites going into the game against the Vancouver Cancuks at Rogers Place on Sunday.
Are the Canucks ready for the challenge?
The Vancouver Canucks won the opening game of the series by 5-4 and had the lead going into the final period of Game 2. It seemed like a promising situation, but allowing a pair of goals in the third period and the overtime cost them the game. Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Nikita Zadorov scored in the 4-3 loss to the Oilers.
The Oilers are the dark-horse candidate to win it all
The Edmonton Oilers made a huge step toward the conference final with a Game 2 win on the road. Evan Bouchard was the hero for the Oilers, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime. Connor McDavid, Mattias Ekholm, and Leon Draisaitl also scored for Edmonton.
Betting Trends
The Canucks have won five of the last six games against the Oilers. They are 4-2 SU in the last 7 games overall, 5-3 SU in the last 8 games against teams from the Western Conference, and 9-4 SU in the last 13 games against teams from the Pacific Division. The Canucks have played under the total goal line in 4 of the last 7 games overall, in 4 of the last 6 games played on Friday, and 8 of the last 13 games as underdogs. The Oilers have won 5 of the last 7 games overall and 6 of the last 9 played on Friday. They have played over the total goal line in 5 of their last 7 games overall, 4 of the last 6 games against teams from the Western Conference and 7 of the last 8 games against teams from the Pacific Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
Both of the previous games were very tight, and this is probably the toughest series to predict at this point in time. The Canucks have the best record in recent head-to-head games, but the Points are one of the best home teams in the NHL. They have McDavid and Drainsaitl, who are probably the best offensive tandem in the league, and after a couple of seasons that did not end well for them, this may be the year for the Oilers. This can be the turning point for them, and the Oilers will take advantage of the opportunity and take over the lead in the series.
