Anaheim Ducks v Vancouver Canucks tips: Ducks hunt wounded Canucks at Honda Center

The Anaheim Ducks welcome the league's worst side to Honda Center on Wednesday afternoon, with the Vancouver Canucks rolling into Orange County having lost five straight and sitting dead last on the ladder. Puck drops at 1:00 pm AEDT, and the Ducks will fancy their chances of building on last start's hard-fought road win in Philadelphia.

Anaheim sit 27th with a 4-6-0 record but are coming off a 5–4 victory over the Flyers on Sunday — a result that snapped a four-game skid and showed some much-needed fight. Vancouver, meanwhile, are 2-9-1 and looking utterly cooked: they've dropped their last five, conceding at least four goals in four of those defeats. The Canucks' defensive frailties are laid bare in the numbers — 4.67 goals against per game and a save percentage of just 86.3 per cent — and the Ducks should be licking their lips.

Who takes it in regulation?

The head-to-head market has Anaheim at short odds, and it's easy to see why. The Ducks may be 27th on the ladder, but the gap between them and 32nd-placed Vancouver is a chasm. Over their last five outings, Anaheim have averaged 2.4 goals for and 4.0 against; Vancouver have managed 2.2 for and 4.4 against. That's a Canucks side leaking goals at a rate that would make a sieve blush.

Leo Carlsson (two goals, nine assists) and Beckett Sennecke (five goals, three assists) have been the chief creators for the Ducks, while Mikael Granlund has chipped in with eight points. Vancouver counter with Elias Pettersson (four goals, eight assists) and Jonathan Lekkerimäki (four goals, five assists), but individual talent hasn't translated to wins — the Canucks have lost five on the spin, including a 2–4 home defeat to Minnesota on Monday.

Anaheim's last start was that 5–4 road win over Philadelphia, a gutsy effort that broke the losing streak. Vancouver's most recent outing was that Minnesota loss, their third straight home defeat. The Canucks have dropped all three of their last five at home — 2–4 to the Wild, 2–5 to Detroit, 3–6 to Carolina — conceding an average of 5.0 goals in that trio. The Ducks, playing at Honda Center, should find enough to get the job done against a side shipping goals for fun.

Can the Ducks cover the spread?

The puck line has Anaheim laying 1.5 goals, and while that's a steeper ask, the Ducks' win margins and Vancouver's defensive shambles make it worth a look. Over their last five, Anaheim's sole victory came by a one-goal margin, while their four losses averaged 2.3 goals. Vancouver's five straight defeats have come by an average of 2.2 goals, and with three of those losses at two goals or more, the Canucks are vulnerable to a beating.

The Ducks' expected goals for (19.7) and against (22.0) over the season suggest they're capable of outshooting opponents, and their 49.1 per cent Corsi share is a tick below even. Vancouver's 41.5 per cent Corsi and bloated 34.0 expected goals against tell the tale of a side getting thoroughly outplayed. If Anaheim get the puck on net and convert, the 1.5-goal line could tumble.

Over or under 6.5 goals?

The total is set at 6.5 goals, and the case for the over is compelling. Anaheim have averaged 2.4 for and 4.0 against in their last five (6.4 combined), while Vancouver have posted 2.2 for and 4.4 against (6.6 combined). Both sides leak goals — the Ducks' 3.3 per game against and the Canucks' 4.67 — and neither goaltending unit inspires confidence (Anaheim 87.7 save percentage, Vancouver 86.3).

The Ducks' power play is clicking at 21.88 per cent, the Canucks at 22.22, but Vancouver's penalty kill is a disaster at 65 per cent (Anaheim are 77.14). Special teams could add a couple of tallies, and with both offences capable of finding the net — Anaheim scored five in Philly, Vancouver put three past Carolina — a 7–6 or 5–3 script feels likelier than a tight 3–2. The over at 6.5 is the play for punters chasing a bit of chaos.