The Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche have been on fire in March, leading to an intriguing matchup tonight.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Minnesota Wild (+130) vs. Colorado Avalanche (-156) Total: 5.5 (O -128, U +104)The Wild and Avs are two of the hottest teams and are neck-and-neck in the Central Division. Both have leapfrogged the Dallas Stars and now occupy the top two seeds in the division. The Avalanche are listed as the home favorite on the moneyline at -156, while the Wild are at +130. This will be the third and final matchup between the teams, which has seen the Avalanche pick up two victories by a combined score of 9-5.
Entering this matchup, the Wild have won two in a row, owning a 7-1-2 record over their last ten games. The Avalanche have won three in a row and sit at 9-1 over that same sample size.
Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Wild are expected to start Filip Gustavsson, while the Avalanche should go with Alexandar Georgiev. The Wild’s netminder has been on an absolute tear, owning a 19-9-5 record with a .932 save percentage. In his first season with the Avs, Georgiev is 34-15-5 with a .919 save percentage.
These teams look evenly matched, which should make for a compelling game. Still, the Avs have dominated the season series and don’t appear to be a team that anyone should want to face, so consider their moneyline price.
Best Bet: Avalanche moneyline (-156)
The first two matchups have seen these teams combine for nine and five goals. The total for tonight’s game is set at 5.5, with the over priced at -128, while the under is +104. Both teams sit in the top ten in goals allowed per game, so a defensive affair could be on tap. Over the Wild’s last five games, they’ve seen six or more goals scored in threes, while the Avalanche have also seen that in three games. With this matchup’s importance, don’t expect a lot of offense, so target the under.
Best Bet: Under 5.5 (+104)
The Avalanche struggled to find the back of the net in the first half of the season, primarily due to injuries. However, they’ve come on heavily in the second half, and a significant reason for that has been Nathan MacKinnon. The Avs superstar has been dynamic when healthy, leading the club with seven points over their last five games. In addition, he’s posted an absurd 95 points in 62 games. MacKinnon is -108 to score tonight, which is an excellent number considering his play.
Best Prop: Nathan MacKinnon to Record Over 0.5 Goals (-108)
