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Maple Leafs vs Canucks 04/18/21 – Odds and NHL Betting Trends

Photo credit: © Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

By Nation World HQ

Apr 18, 2021, 10:55 EDTUpdated: Apr 18, 2021, 10:56 EDT

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by OddsShark (@OddsShark) – Sponsored Post

The Vancouver Canucks are 2-0 in their last two games against the Toronto Maple Leafs since going 0-5 in their previous five games against them. The Canucks will make their much-anticipated return to the ice on Sunday night at home against the Maple Leafs.

Vancouver is a +239 home underdog on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Toronto (-270) enters this game in the midst of a three-game losing streak.

Maple Leafs vs Canucks | OddsShark Matchup Report

The Canucks also enter this matchup on a three-game losing streak, though their most recent action came all the way back on March 24. Vancouver was hit hard by a coronavirus outbreak in April and was forced to postpone 10 scheduled games from March 31 through April 16. The NHL is hoping to find a way to make all of these games up, which could set the stage for a grueling stretch run for Vancouver. The Canucks are 12 points out of a playoff spot with only five games in hand on the fourth-place Montreal Canadiens.

The team returns with a 16-18-3 record this season and with a 9-9-2 record at home.

Auston Matthews missed Thursday night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets with a wrist injury and is listed as questionable to return on Sunday. Matthews has eight goals in seven games so far in April and is the NHL’s goal scoring leader by a comfortable margin with 32 goals in 40 games played this season. The Maple Leafs have lost each of their last three games since going 9-0-1 over their previous 10 games. Toronto still sits atop the North Division with 60 points and a 28-12-4 record.

Sunday night’s total is set at 6.5 goals at online sports betting sites. The UNDER is 6-0 in Toronto’s last six road games against Vancouver.

J.T. Miller criticized the NHL for rushing the Canucks back before the team has had time to fully recover from the lingering side effects of COVID-19. With multiple players still out due to the outbreak and others still at less than 100% conditioning as they try to recover, it’s difficult to imagine what kind of state the Canucks will be in when they take the ice on Sunday night.

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