The Canucks have to come into the conference semifinals of the NHL playoffs with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder. Vancouver won first place in the Pacific this year and are at home on Wednesday night – yet they are still the underdogs as the Oilers come to town.
Before Betting on May 8 Oilers vs Canucks
One other reason that Vancouver should feel slighted as home underdogs in Game 1 is because they took all four games against Edmonton during the regular season. Granted three of those wins came on November 6 or earlier and the Oilers changed coach in the middle of the season, but the Canucks did pick up a 3-1 win on April 18.
Obviously the biggest task for the Canucks in Game 1 and the entire series is containing the Oilers’ #4 ranked scoring offense (3.6). Connor McDavid (12 points) and Leon Draisaitl (10 points) were their usual great selves in the 4-1 series win over the Kings in the first round but Zach Hyman is on fire also with 7 goals vs. Los Angeles.
When you face the Oilers you like stability in net, but Vancouver lost Thatcher Demko to a knee injury in the first round vs. the Predators and then backup Casey DeSmith missed time with an undisclosed illness. With third leading scorer Elias Pettersson (illness) questionable for Game 1 the Canucks are really limping into this series.
Edmonton vs Vancouver Offshore Betting Odds
| Offshore Sportsbook | Moneyline | Total | Point Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetOnline | EDM (1.74) | VANC (2.21) | 6 | EDM -1.5 (2.90) | VANC +1.5 (1.46) |
| MyBookie | EDM (1.76) | VANC (2.08) | 6 | EDM -1.5 (2.90) | VANC +1.5 (1.42) |
| BetUS | EDM (1.71) | VANC (2.20) | 6 | EDM -1.5 (2.80) | VANC +1.5 (1.45) |
| SportsBetting.ag | EDM (1.74) | VANC (2.21) | 6 | EDM -1.5 (2.90) | VANC +1.5 (1.46) |
| XBet | EDM (1.76) | VANC (2.08) | 6 | EDM -1.5 (2.90) | VANC +1.5 (1.42) |
May 8 Oilers vs Canucks Prediction & Pick
The Oilers just have too much firepower for a Vancouver team facing issues in net. Edmonton is relentless – leading the NHL with 33.8 SOG in the regular season – and the Canucks could be starting Arturs Silovs at goaltender in just his 10th NHL game.Â
