NHL betting picks: Nashville @ Vancouver
Added on Jan 11, 2010 by Jack Thurman in
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Only four pro hockey games on Monday, and we’ll have a NHL betting position on one as the Nashville Predators head west to British Columbia to take on the Vancouver Canucks at GM Place. Both teams are part of the logjam in the middle of the Western Conference standings, but while the Preds have run hot and cold over the past month the Canucks are playing some of their best hockey of the year.
Nashville Predators at Vancouver Canucks
January 11, 7:35 PM Pacific
It took the Vancouver Canucks a while to get all the pieces in place when the NHL season started. They had trouble scoring goals for awhile, despite getting a lot of shots on opposing nets. Then they had trouble playing defense in their own zone, forcing Roberto Luongo to face 35 to 40 shots a night. More recently, they’ve got everything figured out and have become a more balanced hockey team across the board with a productive offense and an improved defense. And Luongo remains one of the best goaltenders in the NHL with a 2.20 goals against average.
Nashville started off the season playing with an Over bias, but they’ve gone Under in four of their last five games to even out their record at 20 OV, 20 UN and 5 push. Goaltender Pekka Rinne has been inconsistent this season, but is starting to show better form between the pipes. The Canucks have 8 UN and 1 push in their last 12 games, and have gone Under in 14 of 23 at home this season. After a shootout loss to Calgary in their last outing–an uncharacteristic low scoring affair between the two teams–we look for Vancouver to win with a solid defensive effort. Nashville will be without center Jason Arnott here and that won’t help them on the offensive end. Canucks have won 7 of 10 head to head with only four of those games going Over the total and we look for this one to play Under as well.
Bet Vancouver/Nashville Under 5′ -135
