Two teams climbing the standings are set to collide tonight, with the Florida Panthers visiting the Minnesota Wild.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Florida Panthers (-106) vs. Minnesota Wild (-113) Total: 6.5 (O -120, U -102)After winning the President’s Trophy in 2022, the Florida Panthers have had a massive down year but are still in the running for an Eastern Conference playoff position. They’ve started to play better hockey in the new year but will have their work cut out if they hope to be a playoff team. The Wild are also hovering around the playoff line and continue to be a team with more questions than answers.
Over the Panthers’ last ten games, they’ve posted a 5-3-2 record, while the Wild are 4-6. These teams are evenly priced on the moneyline, with the Wild listed as slight home favorites at -113 while the Panthers are at -106.
Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the Panthers are expected to start Sergei Bobrovsky, while the Wild should do the same with Filip Gustavsson. The Panthers’ netminder has underachieved his hefty salary, posting a 14-14-2 record with a .903 save percentage. Gustavsson has been strong for the Wild, owning a 12-8-1 record with a .923 save percentage. With what we’ve seen from these goalies, give the Wild an edge in the net.
The Panthers have looked better of late, but the Wild are coming off ending their losing skid, and are headed in a more positive direction. As a result, side with their moneyline price of -113.
Best Bet: Wild moneyline (-113)
The Panthers sit as the NHL’s sixth-highest-scoring offense, while the Wild are hovering around the top ten in goals allowed per game. An earlier matchup saw these teams combine for eight goals, while the total for tonight is set at 6.5. Over the Panthers’ last five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored in four, while the Wild have seen that in zero. Since we’re projecting a Wild win, we also expect them to keep this a lower-scoring matchup, so side with the value the under presents at -102.
Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-102)
There’s not a ton of goal-scoring talent on the Wild, but one player sticks out as one of the NHL’s top players. Kirill Kaprizov has been electric for Minnesota and is one of the game’s brightest talents, scoring 62 points in 52 games. In a matchup against a Florida team that struggles to keep pucks out of their net, this is an excellent opportunity for Kaprizov to thrive. The Russian forward is currently priced at +116 to score tonight, and that number has far too much value to pass up.
Best Prop: Kirill Kaprizov to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+116)
