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Avalanche vs. Canucks Odds, Picks, Predictions: Look to the Under for Value

Scott Cullen

Last Updated: January 20, 2023 11:58 AM EST • 2 min 39 sec read.

VANCOUVER, BC - NOVEMBER 2: Quinn Hughes #43 of the Vancouver Canucks skates with the puck during NHL action against the New York Rangers on November 2, 2021 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Photo by Rich Lam / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP.

The Vancouver Canucks host the Colorado Avalanche on Friday with their playoff aspirations fading and head coach Bruce Boudreau's job security looking tenuous. Read on for our best Avalanche vs. Canucks pick based on top odds.

With one regulation win in their past 10 games, the Canucks are sinking in the Pacific Division standings. Rumors are rampant that Boudreau is about to be replaced by Rick Tocchet as the season slips away from Vancouver.

The defending-champion Avalanche have dealt with a litany of injuries for the majority of the season – and that has left them unexpectedly scrambling for a playoff spot at the midway point of the season. Colorado does appear to be trending positively, though, with three straight wins.

With expectations that they will be healthy eventually, the Avs remain one of the top contenders for the Stanley Cup at the best sportsbooks despite languishing in the middle of the NHL pack.

Do the Canucks have one last gasp in them for Friday’s matchup with Colorado?

Here is our best Avalanche vs. Canucks NHL pick (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our NHL best bets.

Avalanche vs. Canucks Game Info

  • Date: Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, 10 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN+, TVAS, SNP, ALT
  • Location: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC

Avalanche vs. Canucks Odds

Check out our complete list of NHL odds!

Avalanche vs. Canucks Odds Analysis

The FanDuel moneyline opened with a Colorado win priced at -156 compared to Vancouver at +130. Even though 71% of the early consensus wagers were on the Avalanche, and there was some movement toward Colorado, the ML has returned to the same as the opening prices.

The total opened at 6.5 with a decided lean towards the Over, priced at -128, while the Under was +104. The price has gradually moved further towards the Over, reaching -140, with the Under at +114 at FanDuel. It appears that the sportsbooks are holding for as long as possible and not moving the line to 7.

Avalanche vs. Canucks Pick

Avalanche-Canucks Under 6.5 (+115) ⭐⭐⭐

The Canucks have been a defensive trainwreck, with much of their struggles tied to a league-worst .878 save percentage. But an AHL call-up is helping turn things around.

While Collin Delia is hardly a savior, he has been better than the injured Thatcher Demko and Spencer Martin. Delia has a .902 save percentage and 3.06 goals against average in eight games and stopped 30 of 32 shots in a win over Colorado in his only NHL home start Jan. 5.

And for as talented as they are, the Avalanche have had trouble scoring on the road this season. Their 2.91 goals per 60 minutes away from Ball Arena ranks 22nd.

Colorado's star defenseman Cale Makar is also out for Friday's game, which takes one more playmaker out of the equation.

They also have a goaltender in Aleksandar Georgiev who has performed better on the road. Among 43 goaltenders that have played at least 500 minutes on the road, Georgiev ranks fifth with 8.58 Goals Saved Above Expected and seventh with a .922 save percentage.

If Delia continues to give the Canucks even a modest goaltending upgrade, this game has a great shot at hitting the Under at plus money.

Check out our Stanley Cup odds.

Avalanche-Canucks Best Odds

BetMGM (+115)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsPointsBet
Under 6.5Under 6.5Under 6.5Under 6.5Under 6.5
+100-102 ❄️+100+100+100

With news that Cale Makar would not play Friday night prices shifted towards the Under.

Instead of the total of 6.5 coming in at virtually the same price (+115) across the top-rated sportsbooks, that has now moved to +100. FanDuel continues to skimp out by charging an extra two cents.

Since there is such agreement on the price, it might be worth waiting to see if there is any player news that could shift it further. If Spencer Martin plays in goal for Vancouver instead of Delia, that would make the Over more appealing.

Avalanche-Canucks pick made 1/20/2023 at 1:30 p.m. ET.

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Written By:
Scott Cullen
Scott Cullen is SportsbookReview.com's Sports Betting Analyst and is one of the most well-known sports betting writers on the web. He wrote about fantasy sports for TSN for many years, and he has also written for The Athletic, NHL.com, The Hockey News, Monkey Knife Fight, and McKeen's Hockey. Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, Cullen was an Economics major at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario and played for the Laurier Golden Hawks hockey team.