Winnipeg Jets vs. Minnesota Wild Prediction, NHL Odds
The Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild meet on Thursday night in the NHL.
Minnesota currently owns the season series 2-1, but each game has been close, and Winnipeg will be looking for their pound of flesh. Here is our Jets vs. Wild preview and predictions.
Jets vs. Wild NHL Betting Odds
The Jets are 21-24 on the puck line, while the Wild are 25-22. Minnesota’s -1.5 puck line comes in at +165; Winnipeg’s +1.5 is -225. As for the game totals, Minnesota is 24-22-1 to the over, while Winnipeg is 27-18-0. The total is set at 5.5 goals, with the over juiced to -125 and +105 for the under.
For the money line, the home team and 26-21 Minnesota Wild are the favourites at -160. At 18-27, Winnipeg has clearly lost far more than their opponents, and come into this one as a +135 underdog.
Kirill Kaprizov (+105) and Matt Boldy (+130) have the shortest odds among Minnesota’s anytime goal scorers, while Mark Scheifele (+145) and Kyle Connor (+145) lead the way for Winnipeg. Elite forward Kaprizov has scored just three goals in his last 12 games, so keep an eye on him as he looks to return to form.
Winnipeg Jets
Overall, it has been a highly disappointing season for these usual contenders in the Winnipeg Jets. Their current record of 18-22-5 has them last in the Central Division, and while they’ve only played 45 games, they are already in major danger of missing the playoffs.
They have shown some life in recent games, as they are on a three-game winning streak and have outscored teams 14-8. However, this will not be an easy matchup for Winnipeg, especially on the road, where they have gone 7-13-2 this season.
To make things even tougher in this matchup, Winnipeg’s defensive core is very banged up. Neal Pionk, Haydn Fleury, and Colin Miller are all on injured reserve, changing 50% of their core. Morgan Barron is also day-to-day, so Winnipeg is clearly seeing some injury issues.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are seen as one of the strongest teams in the Western Conference, especially after acquiring elite defenceman Quinn Hughes. Their 26-12-9 record has them third in the Western Conference, but I am still waiting for consistent dominant performances.
This game presents a great opportunity for them to break out of a run that has seen them win just one game in their last five. They are in a tight battle with the Dallas Stars for the second spot in the Western Conference, and it is time for them to take advantage of Dallas’ own struggles.
For me to seriously consider Winnipeg being “back”, it will take a lot more than a three-game winning streak. Minnesota has the third-best goals against average in the NHL (2.70) – which poses an issue for any team – but they also score at a higher clip and have a far better power play. There is no reason the Wild should lose in this battle.
NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Jets vs. Wild?
While the Jets have looked very solid, posting a three-game win streak after their 0-7-4 run, they figure to be outmatched as the road team against an elite opponent. Minnesota is led by some of the NHL’s best players in Kirill Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes, and while their season has been quite impressive, they should play urgently having won just twice in their last seven outings. I predict a final score of 5-2 for the Minnesota Wild.
WIN
MIN