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NHL Free Pick: Canucks vs. Blackhawks Betting Lines and Preview

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Weekly NHL Betting action sees the Vancouver Canucks taking on the Chicago Blackhawks February 11 at Untied Center. Cappers Picks provides free NHL handicapping tips all season long.

Longtime Western Conference rivals meet in Chicago Wednesday night when the Vancouver Canucks, off a 5-3 loss at Minnesota pay visit to the underwhelming Blackhawks.

Daily NHL Hockey Odds

Vancouver (29-20-2-1) at Chicago (33-18-1-2)
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Broadcast: SN, CSN-CH
Canucks NHL Betting Odds: +1½ -175 +170
Blackhawks NHL Betting Odds: -1½ +155 -189
NHL Over Under Betting Odds Un 5 +115
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Click here to view today’s… NHL Matchup Angles | NHL Insider Gambling Preview

Chicago should be a motivated team Wednesday night – they are coming off a lackluster 3-2 OT loss against one of the worst teams in the NHL – the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday night. Added motivation should come knowing that they lost 4-1 in the only meeting of the season with Vancouver November 23.

The Vancouver Canucks find themselves in a dog fight for the second Wild Card spot in the West – a 3-5-0 stretch has allowed Minnesota and Los Angeles to close the gap.

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The team is now averaging 2.60 goals against and is scoring 2.71 per game offensively.

Vancouver looked oh-so-good in shutting out the Penguins on Saturday night and the offense looked OK again Monday in Minnesota.

The good news for Vancouver is that the balance is starting to return. Zack Kassian has scored a goal in each of the last two games and Alex Burrows and Shawn Mathias each have two points in two games.

Radim Vrbata has two goals and five assists during a six-game point streak and the Sedins have looked pretty good the last week or so.

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Ryan Miller should get the start between the pipes after getting pulled against Minnesota. He hasn’t looked great lately allowing five goals in two of his last three starts – he allowed five goals on 18 shots Monday and didn’t look solid at any part of that game.

To make matters worse – Miller has lost five straight games at Chicago while posting a 3.52 GAA over that span.

Vancouver’s once vaunted penalty killing unit has also struggled – after being superb early in the season they have allowed eight goals in the last 27 shorthanded opportunities against. Now that the offense has seemed to have worked out a few kinks it is Vancouver’s defense that is letting them down.

The Chicago Blackhawks continue to be one of the biggest mysteries in the NHL – so much talent but so little production as of late. The Hawks are just 10-9-1 in their last 20 games and are coming off a loss to Arizona – ya – Arizona!

The Hawks are somehow struggling to score goals. They have scored just 17 none-OT and shootout goals in their last eight games overall – amazing! Jonathan Toews has two goals in his last 20 games, while Patrick Sharp has one in 13, Duncan Keith is pointless in five games and Brent Seabrook hasn’t recorded a point in his last seven games.

The power play is a woeful 1-for-13 in their last six games. Hmmm.

Thank goodness for Marian Hossa who has scored Chicago’s last four goals. Patrick Kane has 30 points in his last 23 games and Brandon Saad has three points in his last three games but this team needs a few more of the big guns to start producing or mediocrity will continue in the windy city.

Corey Crawford will be between the pipes after Antti Raanta started against Arizona. Crawford has been very good lately for the Hawks.

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He is 3-1-0 with a 1.73 goals-against average and .938 save percentage in his last four and is the reason the Hawks were over .500 on the trip while struggling to score.

NHL Gambling Trends

• VAN are 1-7 in their last 8 vs. Western Conference.
• CHI are 78-32 in their last 110 home games.
• CHI are 46-22 in their last 68 Wed. games.

The Canucks have gone 5-1-3 in their last nine regular season games in Chicago – incredible success in the Windy City! Something tells me that the Canucks continue that trend – the Hawks are clearly struggling and the Canucks are finally starting to score some goals.

NHL Betting 4* Free Play

Despite losing in Minnesota Monday night Vancouver took some good things from that game while nothing good came of Chicago’s loss on Monday night.

Vancouver Canucks +170

Vancouver may have caught Chicago at precisely the right time – take the huge road dog to utilize a confident balanced attack to add to Chicago’s woes.

CappersPicks.com NHL Betting and gambling site provides the BEST Online hockey predictions for you to bet on for the NHL hockey season! Stick with us all season long!

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By DaveB

Dave B has been a Fantasy Football writer for us for 10 years. A couch potato wannabe, Dave’s insights have been read by 10’s of people for years. He hope’s for world peace + global relaxation. Enjoy and remember only smoke things that are completely natural.