Red Wings vs Canucks

Detroit rides a 2-game win streak into Vancouver and sits 4-4-2 over its last 10, while the Canucks just snapped a four-game skid but remain 3-6-1 in that span, still buried at the bottom of the Pacific. With Detroit essentially at full strength outside depth pieces like Mason Appleton and Shai Buium, Vancouver’s injury list is far more concerning: Thatcher Demko, Teddy Blueger, Filip Chytil, Nils Höglander and Derek Forbort are all out, while Elias Pettersson remains a game-time question after an upper-body issue, which puts a huge load on Quinn Hughes and the middle six. Historically, Pettersson and Evander Kane have produced well against Detroit and Jake DeBrusk has also hurt them, but that edge is blunted if Pettersson isn’t close to 100%, whereas Larkin, Moritz Seider, Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane headline a Detroit group that owns the better special teams and more consistent five-on-five shot share so far. Factor in Vancouver’s 32nd-ranked goals-against rate and fragile penalty kill versus Detroit’s top-10 power play, and -125 on the road side is still a fair price, though travel and volatility keep it shy of elite value; I’d grade Red Wings moneyline at B+ for a standard stake. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 08/12/2025 09:28am

The total hinges on form and structure more than names, and both recent streaks and season-long numbers still scream offense: Detroit games are 15-9-4 to the over and Vancouver’s are 18-9-1, with the Red Wings scoring 3.07 goals per game and allowing 3.45, while the Canucks sit at 2.86 for and 3.59 against, boosted by a top-10 Detroit power play against a bottom-three Vancouver penalty kill. Even with Pettersson day-to-day, Vancouver just hung four on Minnesota behind Aatu Räty and depth scoring, and they continue to give up high-danger looks in bunches with Demko sidelined and an already thin blue line missing Forbort and other regulars; on the other side, Detroit’s forwards (Larkin, DeBrincat, Kane, Lucas Raymond) are driving volume, and their own defensive lapses plus shaky goaltending from Cam Talbot and John Gibson have kept opponents firmly in games. Add in both clubs’ recent patterns of multi-goal swings and empty-net chaos and a relatively flat number at 6 with -120 juice to the over offers both a push-friendly floor and strong upside for another 6+ goal night; I grade Over 6 at A-, suitable for a larger-than-normal position if your bankroll rules allow. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 08/12/2025 09:28am

Against the spread, Detroit has been middling while Vancouver has quietly covered more often at home, so this long-price puckline leans more on game script than macro trends: the Red Wings are coming off a pair of confidence-building wins and have multiple lines that can finish, whereas Vancouver has dropped six of its last nine and many of those losses have been by multiple goals thanks to the league-worst goals-against rate and a penalty kill that repeatedly caves under pressure. If Pettersson sits or is limited and Demko remains out, the Canucks are again asking Quinn Hughes, Evander Kane, DeBrusk and the kids to carry offense while backup goaltending and a patchwork defense try to survive Detroit’s pace and lethal power play, a combination that naturally increases blowout risk whenever the visitors grab an early lead. That said, home-ice volatility, Detroit’s own defensive inconsistency and the ever-present possibility of a late backdoor goal make this far higher variance than the moneyline; I still see enough upside at +205 to justify a small, high-risk/high-reward sprinkle on Red Wings -1.5, but only at a B- grade and clearly behind the moneyline and total in priority. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 08/12/2025 09:28am