NHL Pick: Wild ML (-120) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
We have a big Central Division clash between the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild in this key NHL Matchup.
Both teams are level on 61 points and sitting right beside each other in both the NHL Divisional and Conference table and each has lost at least 3 of their previous 5 games.
Check out why we believe the Minnesota Wild are worth laying the juice on home ice against the current Stanley Cup champions as our top NHL pick tonight.
Remember, fans from the Land of a Thousand Lakes who want to make a wager on this game should check out our top-rated Minnesota betting sites.
Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild
Wednesday, February 15, 2023 – 09:30 PM EST at Xcel Energy Center
Team Analysis
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche went all the way to a penalty shootout last night but ultimately lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3. Tonight marks their second game in a back-to-back scenario.
Coming into tonight, the Avalanche are 3rd in the Central Division with an overall record of 28-19-5. On the offensive front, the Avalanche have only been averaging 3.0 goals per game which is currently ranked as the 10th worst in the league.
However, the Avalanche have been pretty solid on the powerplay, with the 9th best in the league - hitting 23.5% of the time. Defensively Colorado has performed much better, allowing 2.77 goals per game, which is the 9th best in the NHL.
The Avalanche have gone 7-19 to the under 6.5 goals scored when playing on the road this season.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild have been running cold the past few weeks, having gone 3-7 in their previous 10 games.
The Wild have struggled offensively just like Colorado, scoring just 2.9 goals per game, and just like the Avalanche score an average number of goals per game and boast a top 10 powerplay, so do the Minnesota Wild as they have scored on 23.5% of their power plays (the same number as Colorado).
Defensively the Wild have allowed 2.85 goals per game which is the 13th-best in the NHL thus far this season.
Marc-Andre Fleury is expected to start between the pipes tonight for the Wild. Fleury has a 16-12-3 record this season allowing 2.98 goals per game with a .902 save percentage. On home ice, Fleury has gone 9-5-0.
Stats and Trends
Colorado Avalanche
- The total has gone under in 8 of Colorado's last 9 games on the road
- Colorado is 4-1 in their last 5 games against an opponent in the Western Conference
- The total has gone over in 5 of Colorado's last 7 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota Wild
- Minnesota is 2-4 in their last 6 games against an opponent in the Central Division
- Minnesota is 1-4 in their last 5 games.
- The total has gone under in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games.
Avalanche vs. Wild Picks and Predictions
Minnesota has won 4 of their previous 5 games on home ice against this Colorado Avalanche team, their only defeat coming in the previous meeting which Colorado won 6-3.
With the Avalanche being on a back-to-back and missing some major key players including Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog, we are siding with the Wild who are rested and have almost a fully healthy roster with only Marcus Foligno missing.
Coming into this game the Avalanche have won 8 of their previous 15 road games, four of those eight victories went to overtime.
Minnesota is available to bet on the moneyline at (-120) with BetOnline and given the fact they are 11-4 over their previous 15 home games, we suspect this won’t be an easy game for the Avalanche. We are even going as far as to say the Avalanche won’t win by 2+ goals. If they win, we believe it will be by just one.
Lay the juice at these NHL odds and take the Minnesota Wild to get the job done in what’s expected to be a tight divisional matchup between these two teams.
Score Prediction: Minnesota Wild 4 - Colorado Avalanche 3
NHL Pick: Wild ML (-120) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
