The Vancouver Canucks hit the ice tonight against the Calgary Flames to kick off the regular season.

While it’s generally assumed that the Canucks are in for another long year, there are still many uncertainties about this team. The good thing for you? You can freely and openly bet on many of those uncertainties. Think super rookie Elias Pettersson will be good? How about sophomore Brock Boeser or first-line centre Bo Horvat?

Some American sites like Bodog promise a litany of different points over/unders for all the players in the league, but since many Canadian financial institutions won’t allow wagers placed through those venues, we’ll be going solely off odds posted by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC).

Let’s see what the BCLC thinks is likely for the Canucks this season.

Regular Season Points – 77.5

The BCLC only projects the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators to come in lower than the Canucks.

The over/under is actually higher than what the Canucks posted last season, as the team registered 73 points. Of course, last year the Canucks were decimated by injuries that took them off a somewhat promising early season course. But they also had Henrik and Daniel Sedin.

This year they’ll have Elias Pettersson, along with Brendan Leipsic and Nikolay Goldobin for (maybe?) a whole season. They’ll also bring back the exact same defensive corps that was among the worst in the league. And while Jacob Markstrom had his moments last season, he’s not the type of goalie that can steal games with any constituency.

This team should be competitive in many games they play—especially if they avoid injuries— but it was pretty hard to watch the preseason and conclude that the Canucks will be anything but a bottom-barrel club.

Prediction: Under

Brock Boeser Regular Season Points – 65.5

Last season, Boeser had 55 points in 62 games, so he was well on his way to averaging more than 66 points over a full 82. And it’s not as if we have a bunch of information on Boeser being an injury prone player (cough Chris Tanev cough). The play that injured the right-winger was a bit of a freak incident, but this betting line is basically assuming that Boeser will get injured again, or suffer through a sophomore slump of sorts. He should be able to reach 66 points if he stays relatively healthy.

Prediction: Over

Bo Horvat Regular Season Points – 54.5

It’s hard to say whether Bo Horvat not being awarded the captaincy—the Canucks will go with four alternate captains of which Horvat will be one—will affect whether or not he hits 55 points. It probably wouldn’t have either way, but we certainly don’t mind the narrative that he has something to prove to Canucks management if we’re betting the over.

And we are doing just that, as Horvat has increased his points-per-game percentage every year since he came into the league in 2014-15. Bet on him doing it again, and if he can remain healthy he should easily surpass this mark.

Prediction: Over

Elias Pettersson Regular Season Points – 60.5

The BCLC also has Pettersson as the favourite to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. The odds for that are much friendlier than what you'll get here, so if you think Pettersson hits the over, you’re better off betting on that.

As it stands, 60 points is a big mark for a rookie. Three first-year players hit the mark last time, including Mathew Barzal, who scored at a point-per-game pace for the New York Islanders. But it’ll be hard for Pettersson—who is projected to start the season on the second line of what should be a crummy team—to hit that total.

That’s not to say he’s in for a disappointing season. There’s no doubting Pettersson’s world-class ability. But the Canucks didn’t have a single 60-point scorer last year. Again, take the better odds on the Calder Trophy on the (decent) chance he does something incredible.

Prediction: Under

Jay Beagle Total Goals – 8.5

If the season hasn’t started and you’re already betting on Jay Beagle, you might have a problem.

But if we must break it down…

In the last four seasons, Beagle has registered over nine goals twice, and he got close the other two years as well. But that was on the Washington Capitals.

Beagle will be playing on the fourth line of one of the worst teams in the league. This team doesn’t project to score that much, and any tallies from the Stanley Cup winner will be a bonus.

Yes, Derek Dorsett’s hot start proved that grinders can score too, but he was getting the ice time required to do it. Beagle doesn’t figure to get more than 13 minutes a game (Dorsett was logging around 15), and if he does, coach Travis Green will have some questions to answer.

Prediction: Under

Michael Del Zotto Hits – 230.5

This one is pointing at the “Hitz King” moniker that has been bestowed on Michael Del Zotto after he led the Canucks (and came fifth in the entire NHL) with 244 hits last season.

It was the first time in his career that Del Zotto had more than 200 hits (previous highest was 173), and while he obviously thinks that hits provide him with value (and Travis Green seems to agree), one has to expect that number to go back down to earth.

Del Zotto was the only Canucks defenceman to play 82 games last year (and he threw the body around, obviously), so he might be coming into this season with some wear and tear. In addition, it’s not too hard to see the Hitz King with a reduction in minutes this year. He averaged over 20 minutes a night last season and the Canucks’ brass has to see that as a huge problem, as he easn't necessarily productive in that time. 

He’s also a candidate for a late-season trade given his expiring contract, and he definitely won’t get near the same average time on ice with a contender.

Prediction: Under

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