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Canucks vs. Sharks NHL Picks / Preview (Apr. 8)

Tonight some great games are on tap in NHL hockey betting action. Get your NHL gambling picks here at capperspicks.com. We preview and pick the Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks matchup, odds currently have the Canadiens listed as 175-moneyline favorites in this game…

NHL Hockey Free Predictions: Vancouver Canucks vs San Jose Sharks

Hockey Gambling fans sure are getting their money’s worth from the free nhl picks we give out here at Capperspicks.com.

Team Records:

Vancouver: 48-27-5
San Jose: 49-20-11

Tonight, 10:35p.m. ET
Sportsbook odds: Canucks +155, Sharks -175, O/U 5.5

Canucks vs. Sharks

The San Jose Sharks will try to continue their domination over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night as the regular season in the NHL winds down. For the Canucks, there is not all that much to play for except momentum and a message to the Sharks themselves. For the Sharks, there is a little bit more on the line.

They are currently fighting the Chicago Blackhawks for the Western Conference championship and ultimately home ice in the first three rounds of this year’s playoffs.

The Vancouver Canucks appear to be cruising home and with the Northwest Division already theirs, focus now shifts to building momentum, solidifying line combinations and helping Henrik Sedin hold off Alex Ovechkin for the scoring title in the NHL.

The Canucks are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games and are coming off a hard fought shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.

Vancouver appears to have all the offensive pieces in place for the post season.

The Sedins are still lighting up the league, the defense is chipping in on the score sheet and the secondary scoring that the Canucks have lacked in the past few seasons seems to be hitting its stride. The Canucks have possibly the deepest and most potent offense that they have had in many years.

The Canucks are not without their problems however. Goaltender Roberto Luongo has struggled since the Olympic break and has looked particularly shaky in his last few games. Luongo has given up fourteen goals in his last three games overall and will likely give way to backup Andrew Raycroft if favour of rest. Raycroft has been superb in his last two starts going 2-0 with a 2.09 goals against average.

The San Jose Sharks still have a bit of work to do in order to clinch first place in the Western Conference. They are two points ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks who have one game in hand. A win on Thursday night would go a long way in the Sharks’ quest for home ice advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.

After a rough patch a few weeks ago, the Sharks have found their game once again and are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Joe Thornton, healthy again is starting to heat up at the right time as is Dany Heatley and the San Jose defensive corp. They have slipped to the fourth ranked offense in the NHL but still posess a potent attack.

Evgeni Nabokov appears to be working out of his rough patch that has seen him lose seven of his last twelve games.
The San Jose Sharks would love to wrap up the Western Conference on Thursday night while the Canucks would love to improve upon their dismal 2-9 record against the Sharks in their last eleven meetings.

The Sharks have a lot to play for and have only lost six games in regulation on home ice all year. It is hard to bet against them.

NHL Betting Trends:

Vancouver is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Vancouver is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing San Jose
San Jose is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Vancouver
San Jose is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
San Jose is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing Vancouver
San Jose is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Vancouver’s last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Vancouver’s last 6 games

Pick: San Jose Sharks

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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.