Penguins F Rickard Rakell has an unsustainably low conversion rate on his shot attempts (33.3%). This is well below the 63.2% mark from a year ago. The Canucks surrender a ton of SOG, so he'll find some statistical correction tonight.
NHL
The Vancouver Canucks head to PPG Paints Arena to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, October 21, and the two teams are both off to solid 4-2 starts.
My top Canucks vs. Penguins predictions and NHL picks are headlined by Pittsburgh winger Rickard Rakell.
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Canucks vs Penguins Best bet: Rickard Rakell Over 2.5 shots on goal (+120)
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell recorded four shots on opening night, but has only hit the net on eight of 24 attempts (33.3%) across five games since.
The volume and go-to role on the No. 1 line and top power-play unit are there, and the veteran winger also converted 63.2% of his attempts into shots last season.
This is also a plus-matchup against the Vancouver Canucks, and especially on home ice with Penguins head coach Dan Muse having the last-change advantage.
Vancouver has surrendered the sixth-most shots per game (31.0) and ranks 30th in Corsi For percentage at 5-on-5.
Statistical correction kicks in for Rakell at PPG Paints Arena tonight.
The Canucks have received otherworldly goaltending from Thatcher Demko to the tune of a .922 save percentage and 2.28 GAA with 7.79 goals saved above expected through four starts. He’ll keep Vancouver in the game tonight.
I also expect the captains to leave their mark on the game sheet.
Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes and Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby each have four helpers through six games, and both jump the boards with their respective No. 1 power-play units.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have hit the Over in 24 of their last 40 games at home (+6.95 Units / 15% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Canucks vs. Penguins.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Neil Parker is, first and foremost, a sports fan. A huge supporter of the Cowboys, Cubs, and Maple Leafs, he has managed to parlay his passion into writing gigs at some of the top websites in the industry.
Neil takes a numbers-based approach to his handicapping and complements his in-depth statistical analysis with a keen eye on the markets to provide the best available odds. He loves to lean on his rolodex of idioms to offset his inner nerd. When it comes to wagering, he throws down on anything that catches his eye at bet365, Betway and BetVictor. He also keeps a close eye on CoolBet because the polar bear brand often has outlier NHL and NFL moneyline prices.
Neil graduated with honors from St. Thomas University in 2007 before completing his BEd at Acadia University in 2010. After teaching a myriad of courses and subjects, he found a groove delivering fun lessons to exceptional learners in non-traditional classroom environments. If his decade-plus teaching run taught him anything about sports betting, it’s to stay the course and use the summer – or offseason – to refresh and prepare to be better in the year to come.
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