NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Coyotes vs Canucks (Thursday, January 18)
TEMPE, ARIZONA – JANUARY 09: Lawson Crouse #67 of the Arizona Coyotes skates with the puck against the Boston Bruins at Mullett Arena on January 09, 2024 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)
Coyotes vs. Canucks Odds
| Coyotes Odds | +162 |
| Canucks Odds | -196 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 +104 / -128 |
Here's everything you need to know about Coyotes vs Canucks on Thursday, Jan. 18 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
Well, here we are in the middle of January, and two teams that weren't expected to compete for a playoff spot are in the thick of it. The Vancouver Canucks have surpassed even the wildest preseason expectations and are leading the NHL past the halfway point of the season.
That's a height the Arizona Coyotes could only dream of, but even they have postseason aspirations. The Yotes sit just four points back of the final berth playoff berth with two games in hand.
These teams collide on Thursday night in what should be a competitive bout between two playoff contenders. The Canucks travel arrangements could impact their competitiveness, but there are a few other factors working against the hosts. Conversely, Arizona is in the midst of its best stretch of the season, leaving a bettor-friendly advantage on the Desert Dogs.
Let's dig into the NHL odds and make a Coyotes vs Canucks prediction and pick.
Arizona has become synonymous with losing over the past few seasons. The Coyotes haven't finished a season above .500 since 2019-20, failing to surpass 28 wins in any of their last three campaigns. Yet the 2023-24 season has been a different story.
Forty-two games into the season and the Coyotes have nearly matched their three-year high, already totaling 21 wins with 40 games left to play.
More importantly, those wins are grounded in improved metrics. Analytics that are seeing upticks over the Yotes' more recent span. Over their last four games, the Coyotes have outplayed their opponents in all but one of those contests. Cumulatively, Arizona has posted a 58% expected goals-for rating, tilting the ice in their favor.
Still, the outcomes don't reflect the Coyotes' on-ice dominance. Arizona has just two wins over the modest four-game sample, albeit with one of those losses coming in overtime.
This despite things going well on both ends of the ice. Coyotes skaters have tallied 14 goals across all strengths, and Arizona's netminders have combined for an above-average 91% save percentage. More wins should start to follow their improved metrics, starting with Thursday's tilt against the Canucks.
This has been a banner year for the Canucks. Vancouver is tied for the most wins and points, staking themselves as Pacific Division favorites. However, at least some of that success is contradicted by their metrics, implying the Canucks are regression candidates over their coming sample.
Analytically, the Nucks are a middling squad. They've put together the 20th-ranked Corsi rating and 18th-best high-danger chance rating, yielding the 16th-ranked expected goals-for rating. Somehow, the Nucks have turned those metrics into one of the best records in hockey.
But their unsustainable play is reflected in several key stats, including their substantially inflated 1.050 PDO. Altogether, Vancouver is too far ahead of its metrics, suggesting that a correction phase is on the horizon.
Their current schedule could facilitate some of that regression. The Canucks just returned home following an extended seven-game road trip that took them across the Eastern seaboard.
That sets up Thursday's intra-conference affair as a potential flat spot as the Canucks settle into the comforts of home, looking ahead to Saturday's marquee showdown against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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Coyotes vs. Canucks
Betting Pick & Prediction
Our analysis supports these teams are due for a reversal of fortunes. In Arizona's case, we're anticipating more wins to follow its improved on-ice product. The Coyotes have penned opponents into their own ends lately, giving themselves an analytics advantage.
We're placing the Canucks on the opposite end of the spectrum. Vancouver has outlasted its metrics and should be headed toward a cooling-off period. On that basis, we're planting our flag on the Coyotes moneyline, playing it at +155 or better.
Pick: Coyotes ML (+175)
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