Moneyline: Predators +140 | Wild -170
Spread: Predators +1.5 (-188) | Wild -1.5 (+152)
Total: 6.5 Over -110 | Under -110
All NHL betting lines and odds are provided by FanDuel.
Nashville Predators +3000
Minnesota Wild +2000
The Minnesota Wild return home following a mini two-game road trip to take on the Nashville Predators. Minnesota needed a shootout in both contests, splitting the decisions and going 1-0-1. The Preds come into tonight’s Central Division matchup off a tough 7-4 loss yesterday, their first in three games, but they maintained their strong effort outplaying the St. Louis Blues in the loss. In weighing where these teams are at coming into tonight’s contest, we’re expecting the Wild’s overtime trend to continue.
Nashville has re-emphasized defense over their recent sample, holding five of their past seven opponents to nine or fewer high-danger chances for an average of 8.0 per game. More recently, we’ve seen a surge in offensive opportunities, with the Preds attempting 10 or more quality chances in three of their past four. In reconciling those metrics, the Predators have put forth some dominant performances, outplaying three of those four teams and establishing a cumulative 57.1 expected goals-for percentage.
The Wild have put forth similar efforts recently, relying on tidy defensive play to limit their opposition. Only one of their previous 11 opponents had more than nine high-danger chances, with no team going north of 24 scoring opportunities. However, we haven’t seen the same type of prolific offense from the Wild as the Preds. Minnesota has gone north of nine high-danger chances just three times over their past 14 games. Look for them to play a possession-driven game to prevent the Preds offense from gaining momentum.
Both clubs are playing assertive hockey right now, emphasizing defensive structure. As we approach the playoffs, divisional matchups become so much more important as teams jostle for points and position in the standings. All of which suggests that tonight’s matchup should take longer than 60 minutes to sort out. We’re betting this one is tied at the end of regulation.
The Pick: Regulation Tie +320
All NHL predictions and picks are courtesy of SportsGrid.