When you have a season as long and tough as the 82-game NHL schedule, it’s never a good idea to start getting too judgmental in the early going. Some teams are going to surprise us in the opening few weeks by getting off to a hot start, but their ability to maintain that should remain in question for a little while.

The same rules apply with teams who are considered to be Stanley Cup favorites who are failing to impress in the early going. Do we really believe that the struggles will continue for the likes of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Toronto Maple Leafs? Only time will tell, but as bettors, all we can do now is look at the current state of play and make decisions based on that. The Philadelphia Flyers are a team expected to be in the mix in the Eastern Conference and they are off to an okay start.

We are not yet entirely sure what to expect from the Vancouver Canucks, which makes this one an interesting NHL Betting matchup. It’s a late one for those of us on the east coast, but one well worth staying up for.

Flyers vs Canucks NHL Odds & Pick for Saturday Night

• When: Saturday, October 12 at 10 PM EST
• Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver
• TV: NHL Center Ice
• Radio: SiriusXM
• Live Stream: NHL.tv
• NHL Odds: Vancouver Canucks -125

Capitals vs Stars NHL Week 2 Betting Lines & Expert Pick

Why bet on the Philadelphia Flyers?

The Flyers are sitting in the middle of the pack in the Metropolitan Division standings, but don’t let that fool you, as they are in better shape than most. A weird kink in scheduling means that the Flyers have played just 2 games this season, both of which they have won. They have scored 8 goals in those games and surrendered just 3, so it’s a fantastic start to the year that they will be looking to continue when they head west on Saturday night.

The road has not been particularly kind to the Flyers, who are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games, but that all seems to go out the window when they play in Vancouver, as Philly are 10-4 SU on their last 14 visits. Versus teams from the Western Conference, Philadelphia has seen the OVER hit in 5 of their last 6.

Team Stats

Offense

• Goals: 4.00
• Shots: 36.00
• PP/PK Percentage: 42.86

Defense

• Goals: 1.50
• Shots: 28.00
• PP/PK Percentage: 14.29

Why bet on the Vancouver Canucks?

It’s always great t open the season at home. The fans are fired up for the start of the new season and players seem to be able to feed off of that excitement. That was not the case for the Vancouver Canucks, though, as they played their first two games of the season at home and came away with nothing, losing to both Edmonton and Calgary.

It took a road game for them to get their first win of the year, which they did in emphatic style with an 8-2 win over the LA Kings. That was a surprising offensive outburst when you consider than Vancouver managed just 2 goals combined in their first 2 games. Which Vancouver offense is going to show up for this one?

Team Stats

Offense

• Goals: 3.33
• Shots: 30.67
• PP/PK Percentage: 8.33

Defense

• Goals: 2.67
• Shots: 30.33
• PP/PK Percentage: 0.00

Flyers vs Canucks NHL Betting Trends

• Flyers are 10-4 SU in their last 14 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia’s last 6 games against an opponent in the West conference
• Canucks are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games at home
• The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Vancouver’s last 8 games

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Flyers vs Canucks

I am not sold on the Vancouver Canucks even after their big win, and I believe that they may be onto another home defeat versus a Flyers team that has started the season hot. I think this one is a comfortable win for Philly.

Score: Philadelphia Flyers 5 – Vancouver Canucks 2