NHL Best Bets: Wild vs. Jets Game Picks

Two teams fighting for playoff positioning in the Central division will face off tonight, with the Winnipeg Jets hosting the Minnesota Wild.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

The Wild and Jets have been heading in two different directions in March. Minnesota has been on a tear and has continued to charge up the Central and challenge the Dallas Stars for the lead, while the Jets have been slumbering and really haven’t been able to get anything going. This will be the third of four matchups between these clubs, with the first two seeing the Wild post convincing victories by scores of 4-1 and 6-1. 

Winnipeg is listed as a slight home favorite tonight on the moneyline at -130, while the Wild are priced at +108. Minnesota enters this matchup with points in ten straight games where they boast an 8-0-2 record, while the Jets are sitting at 2-6-2 over that same sample size. Minnesota will be taking the ice for the second night in a row after losing 1-0 in a shootout to the Calgary Flames yesterday. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup tonight, the visiting Wild are expected to start Marc-Andre Fleury between the pipes, while the Jets should do the same with Connor Hellebuyck. The Wild netminder has posted a 19-13-3 record, paired with a .905 save percentage, while Hellebuyck is sitting at 27-19-2, with a .919 save percentage. The Jets goalie should have the advantage here, but Winnipeg’s recent struggles defensively likely balance things out. 

Even with the Wild playing for the second night in a row, it’s been evident that they’ve had the Jets number this season, which has seen them outscore Winnipeg 10-2. With the plus-money value Minnesota is showing us and their defensive prowess, we feel comfortable backing them tonight on the moneyline. 

Best Bet: Wild moneyline (+108) 

There are a lot of similarities between these two clubs. Both sides play well defensively, with the Wild in third in the NHL in goals allowed per game while the Jets are in tenth. On the other hand, both teams struggle to score and sit in the bottom half of the league in goals scored per game. Over the Wild’s past five, they have not seen six or more goals scored in any games, while the Jets have in three of theirs. Look for a healthy balance of goals to be scored in this contest, meaning there’s value in backing the over 5.5 at -118. 

Best Bet: Over 5.5 (-118) 

There might not be a ton of star goal scorers highlighted in this matchup tonight, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some strong value prevalent. One player that appears to stick out for the Wild is their big center, Joel Eriksson Ek. The Swedish forward has already tallied 22 goals and 27 assists on the campaign, and this is a great matchup for him against a bigger Winnipeg team. This is a great spot to target the value price of +225 for Eriksson Ek to light the lamp. 

Best Prop: Joel Eriksson Ek to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+225)