Back with more NHL betting for Tuesday.  We’ll take a look at tonight’s game between a couple of playoff bound teams in the Western Conference as the Vancouver Canucks head east to play the Colorado Avalanche.  Canucks are currently third in the West while the Avalanche are in 6th but that doesn’t really do justice to how evenly matched these teams are.  Only three points separate the third through sixth teams so obviously this is an important game.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS VS. COLORADO AVALANCHE

Both teams started the season playing very good defense–or in Vancouver’s case getting one insane goaltending performance after another from Roberto Luongo–but somewhere along the way their offenses caught up to the level that they were playing at defensively.  Now both teams can score and keep the other team from scoring, which is a deadly combination in hockey.  Vancouver is ranked third in goals per game, just .02 behind second place Chicago.  The Blackhawks are one of six teams in the NHL averaging more than three goals per game.  Colorado is ninth in goals per game at 2.88.

Defensively, Vancouver is ranked #7 in goals against per game (2.52) while Colorado is #8 (2.54).  The Canucks enter this contest having played six straight Overs, while Colorado has gone Under in 4 of 6.  Its important to note the teams that the Avs have gone Under against–three of the four Unders have come against teams ranking in the bottom half of the NHL scoring offense tally including two against the low scoring Phoenix Coyotes.

These teams have played four times this year with two games going Under and the most recent two going Over.  The first two games were in the first month of the season before either team had really established their offense.  The most recent two games had a total of 17 goals scored.  We look for more of that kind of hockey here and an easy Over.

PLAY VANCOUVER/COLORADO OVER 5′ +100