Today's NHL Betting Guide: Ducks a solid road dog in Minnesota

The NHL is slowly ramping up activities, meaning we will be heading into a busy stretch of action as they make up for lost time over the past few weeks. We aren’t there yet, as tonight features a modest three-game schedule, but this is one of only three nights with three or fewer games until March 9. As usual, we’re highlighting a pair of ideal betting spots heading into the weekend.

These are the wagers we’re looking at from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Anaheim Ducks vs. Minnesota Wild Moneyline, Total and Odds

Moneyline: Ducks +146|Wild -176

Spread: Ducks +1.5 (-188)|Wild -1.5 (+152)

Total:  5.5 Over -118|Under -104

Odds courtesy of Fanduel Sportsbook. Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook today and get your first bet risk-free for up to $1,000.

Anaheim Ducks vs. Minnesota Wild News, Analysis, and Picks

The Minnesota Wild have had some time to rest since their last game after a pair of road matchups against Canadian teams were canceled. They’ll have to shake off the rust against a stingy Anaheim Ducks team operating below expected values over their recent sample.

Anaheim has been good at limiting their opponents at five-on-five over their recent stretch, holding three of their past five opponents to nine or fewer high-danger chances. Their tidy defensive play stretches back even further, with only four of the Ducks’ previous 11 opponents attempting more than nine quality chances. Scoring opportunities against are also decreasing, with only one of their past five opponents attempting more than 24 and a five-game rolling average of 20.8 scoring chances against.

Those metrics could perpetuate the Wild’s downward spiral over their past nine games, a stretch in which Minnesota has been outplayed at five-on-five in every game. It’s been downright ugly for the Wild over that span as they’ve posted a cumulative 40.5% expected goals-for percentage, with their best rating being a 44.7% mark against the Washington Capitals last time out. Their offense has been what’s letting them down, as the Wild have attempted just 18 high-danger and 52 scoring chances over their past four games.

Minnesota will need to get their metrics working in their favor for more wins to follow. They have four more than they deserve over the past month and could meet their reckoning against a Ducks team that has recently turned the corner with their metrics. We’re taking a flyer on the Ducks at +146.

The Pick: Ducks +146

Dallas Stars vs. Florida Panthers Moneyline, Total and Odds

 Moneyline: Stars +180|Panthers -220

Spread: Stars +1.5 (-144)|Panthers -1.5 (+118)

Total: 6.5 Over -102|Under -120

Odds courtesy of Fanduel Sportsbook. Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook today and get your first bet risk-free for up to $1,000.

Dallas Stars vs. Florida Panthers News, Analysis, and Picks

The Dallas Stars are on the first night of a back-to-back against the Florida Panthers on Friday night, meaning Jake Oettinger gets his 12th start of the season. Oettinger has been good when called upon, but he faces a tall order being asked to limit the Panthers’ attack at home.

Florida has had one of the most dangerous offenses all season, and they’ve let loose over their past seven games. The Panthers have attempted no fewer than 10 high-danger chances at five-on-five over that span, putting up at least 12 across all strengths. That has a direct impact on output, as the Panthers have scored at least four goals in every game over that stretch, with three or more of those coming from high-danger areas.

The Stars can fight fire with fire on Friday night, as their offense is taking significant strides over their recent sample. Dallas has scored four or more in four of six, attempting double-digit quality chances across all strengths during the six-game sample and averaging 12.3 per game. By virtue of their recent outburst, the Stars PDO just climbed above 1.000, going up to 1.002 after their most recent outing. Their metrics imply that their PDO could climb higher before they start to falter.

These teams met last week, and there were 11 total goals scored. Neither club has taken their foot off the pedal since, and we’re betting there are more offensive fireworks tonight in the Sunshine State. Over 6.5 is our favorite wager in this one.

The Picks: Over 6.5 -102 

All NHL predictions and picks are courtesy of SportsGrid.