Oilers vs Canucks

With Edmonton sitting second in the Pacific at 23-17-8 and still within striking distance of Vegas, this trip to Vancouver looks like a classic “take care of business” spot against a Canucks team that has dropped five straight and sits last in the division at 16-26-5.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/401803115)) Even with Adam Henrique on long-term injured reserve, the Oilers bring a healthier core than Vancouver, which is missing key contributors down the middle in Filip Chytil, Teddy Blueger and Marco Rossi plus top netminder Thatcher Demko, forcing Kevin Lankinen and the depth chart behind him into heavier duty.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/401803115)) Edmonton’s elite power play (above 30%) against a Canucks penalty kill sitting near the bottom of the league, combined with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s sustained success against Vancouver in recent meetings, tilts the matchup sharply toward the visitors despite Vancouver’s home-ice edge.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/401803115)) With the Oilers 2-2-1 in their last five and Vancouver riding that 0-5-0 slide, plus Edmonton needing every point to keep separation in a crowded Pacific playoff race while the Canucks are already chasing a distant wildcard picture, laying -188 on the Oilers moneyline is a fairly strong but not slam-dunk position, worthy of a B+ grade for a high-likelihood outcome but only moderate monetary value.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/401803115)) Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 10:09

The total at 6.5 feels aggressive at first glance given Vancouver’s recent scoring drought, but the underlying matchup still leans toward a higher-event game where Edmonton’s attack does most of the heavy lifting. Over the last five, the Oilers have been involved in four games with at least five total goals, while the Canucks have allowed at least four in every contest during their current five-game skid, a product of leaky team defense and goaltending behind a banged-up lineup.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/401803115)) Edmonton’s top-ranked power play and a 3.31 goals-for per game clip now draw a Vancouver penalty kill under 75% and a defense surrendering 3.60 goals per night, and without Demko plus several key forwards, the Canucks project to struggle containing McDavid, Draisaitl and Zach Hyman over 60 minutes.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/401803115)) Recent head-to-heads have seen plenty of offense — including a 6-2 Oilers win and a 4-3 Canucks OT victory in the last calendar year — and with Edmonton motivated by tight playoff stakes while Vancouver’s structure has eroded during this losing streak, the Over 6.5 at -125 rates as a B-grade play: solid edge driven by matchup and special-teams imbalance, but with some risk if the depleted Canucks offense can’t contribute enough to the total.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/401688334?utm_source=openai)) Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 10:09

Given the combination of Vancouver’s injuries and form, the Oilers’ puckline at -1.5 comes into play as a reasonable way to extract more value from Edmonton’s favorite status. The Canucks are just 4-12-3 at Rogers Arena and have been outscored heavily during their five-game slide, with four of those losses coming by at least three goals as defensive-zone breakdowns pile up in front of Lankinen and a patchwork blue line.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/401803115)) Edmonton, meanwhile, has shown a strong tendency to turn advantages into multi-goal wins when their top six gets rolling, as seen in last season’s 6-2 home rout of Vancouver and several other recent meetings where Draisaitl and Hyman drove the margin once the Oilers grabbed a lead.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/401688367/canucks-oilers?utm_source=openai)) With Henrique sidelined but the rest of the forward core intact, plus a massive special-teams edge and playoff positioning pressure that discourages letting up late, Edmonton is likelier than usual to chase an empty-net insurance tally if they’re up one in the third, making Oilers -1.5 (-125) a B-grade play: more volatile than the moneyline, but offering better reward on a matchup that strongly favors a decisive Edmonton victory.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/401803115)) Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 10:09