Wild vs Canucks Prediction, Starting Goalies & Best Bets

• The Wild are road favorites in Vancouver on Sunday, one night after beating Seattle 5-1
• Minnesota is second in the Central Division while Vancouver is last in the Pacific
• See my Wild vs Canucks prediction, starting goalies and best bets for Oct. 25 below

The Minnesota Wild (7-3-2) close out a back-to-back Sunday night in Vancouver, less than 24 hours after a 5-1 win over Seattle. The Canucks (2-9-1) have dropped nine straight, and they enter as home underdogs in the latest NHL odds.

There’s an added storyline in this Western Conference matchup. Quinn Hughes makes his first trip back to Vancouver as a member of the Wild. He’s been a big part of Minnesota’s start, piling up 14 points in twelve games while logging heavy minutes on the back end.

Puck drop is set for 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET from Rogers Arena. Keep reading for my Wild vs Canucks prediction, the projected starting goalies on both sides and my best bets for Sunday night.

Wild vs Canucks Prediction

• Wild 60-Minute Moneyline (-125 at FanDuel)

My Wild vs Canucks prediction is Minnesota to win in regulation. This is a three-way market, so a tie after 60 minutes loses, but -125 is a much better price than -184 on the regular moneyline. It works out to about a 55.6% implied chance.

The shot gap is hard to ignore. Vancouver is getting outshot 33.5 to 20.1 per game, while Minnesota averages 31.1 shots and allows just 25.6. The Canucks have struggled to get the puck going the other way, and the Wild should spend plenty of time in the offensive zone.

Kirill Kaprizov is the biggest problem for the Canucks. He has twelve goals and 19 points in a dozen games, and Vancouver’s 65% penalty kill gives him extra looks if the hosts can’t stay out of the box. That gives Minnesota another route to building a regulation lead.

Wild vs Canucks Starting Goalies

Calvin Pickard will start for Minny, with the team on the second night of a back-to-back.

Wild vs Canucks Goalie Stats

Pickard’s line comes from a single game, so I’m not putting much stock in it. Minnesota’s edge starts with how few shots it gives up, and that structure doesn’t change much based on who’s in the crease.

Vancouver’s decision carries more weight. Leevi Merilainen has been solid with a .917 save percentage, while Kevin Lankinen sits at 1-7 with a ghastly 6.17 GAA and .812 mark. A Lankinen start would make the Wild even more appealing in regulation.

Wild vs Canucks Best Bets

• Joel Eriksson Ek Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-152 at FanDuel)

I’ve got two Wild vs Canucks best bets, and both come from the shot boards. Vancouver gives up 33.5 shots per game, which opens the door for Minnesota’s shooters to fire away all night. The Canucks also manage just 20.1 shots of their own, so the Wild should have the puck plenty.

Joel Eriksson Ek is the first player I’m backing to take advantage. Eriksson Ek has 39 shots in twelve games, averaging 3.25. That volume clears this line before accounting for Vancouver’s generous shot allowance. I’ll pay the -152 price for Eriksson Ek to record three.

• Quinn Hughes Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-102 at FanDuel)

Hughes wraps up my Wild vs Canucks best bets. He has 35 shots thus far, close to three a night, while logging around 27 minutes per game. That’s a lot of time to get pucks through from the point.

He’s chipped in two goals to go with twelve assists, and his shot total keeps climbing with the ice time. Against a team that spends so much time defending, I like his volume at a near coin-flip price of -102.

Wild vs Canucks Odds

The Wild vs Canucks odds price Minnesota at -184 on the moneyline, roughly a 64.8% implied chance, with Vancouver at +152. The Wild are +118 to cover the 1.5-goal puck line, and the total sits at 6.5 with -110 on both sides.

Odds as of Oct. 25 at FanDuel. Shop the lines across the top NHL betting apps before puck drop.