Edmonton Oilers vs. Minnesota Wild Prediction, NHL Odds
A matinee matchup in Minnesota has the red-hot Wild hosting Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
The Wild are looking for a seventh straight win on Saturday, as the hype around this team continues to gain momentum. The Oilers have won back-to-back games of their own, helping turn their season around. The NHL odds have the Wild as the -130 favourite to win on Saturday, with the total sitting at an even six goals. Puck drop from the Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is set for 3:00 PM EST.
Oilers vs. Wild NHL Betting Odds
Saturday is the second of three meetings between these teams this season, as the Wild took a 1-0 win in Edmonton earlier this month to go up in the season series. Defenceman Jonas Brodin scored the lone goal for Minny and Jesper Wallstedt stopped all 33 shots for the shutout.
Despite only a single goal in their previous matchup, these teams typically fill each other’s nets. Their six meetings before this season have all featured at least six goals, playing the OVER/UNDER 4-1-1.
After a tough start to the campaign, the Oilers have a 7-2-1 record over their last 10 games, pulling themselves into third place in the Pacific Division. They have been the favourite in each of their past 10 games and covered the spread in all seven of their wins, bringing their record ATS to 15-20. The Oilers’ offence ranks fourth in the league, scoring 3.4 goals per game, and they have scored four or more in six of their past 10 games.
A two-headed monster in goal has helped Minnesota to a 2.51 goals against average, good for fourth in the league. Not to mention the addition of Quinn Hughes to their D-core, those numbers should only improve in the back half of the season. During their six-game win streak, they have not given up more than two goals a night, helping them cover the spread in each game. Their record ATS is 21-14 to this point, which is the sixth most covers of any team.
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers will be wrapping up a five-game road trip on Saturday in Minnesota, looking for a third straight win. After beating Pittsburgh 6-4 on Tuesday, they traveled to Boston on Thursday to face the Bruins. Connor McDavid got Edmonton on the board first, setting up a power-play goal in the first period, but the Bruins answered quickly to even things before the intermission. Rookie Quinn Hutson scored his first career goal in the second period to put the Oilers back in front. McDavid was not done after an assist, scoring a shorthanded goal early in the third period to seal the deal for Edmonton in a 3-1 win.
With two points on Thursday, McDavid boosted his point total to 58 (21G, 37A), one behind league leader Nathan MacKinnon. He really turned it up in December, scoring 22 points (10G, 12A) in his last eight games. The NHL Futures Board has McDavid as the second favourite (+150) for the Hart Trophy, in what looks to be a two-horse race.
Minnesota Wild
What a run it has been for the Wild this month as they have been crushing teams over the span of their six-game win streak. They have not given up more than two goals in any game, including a shutout and have scored five or more in four of the six.
Their top line pushed the pace offensively in their most recent 5-2 win on Thursday over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov each ended with a goal and two assists,
extending both of their point streaks to three games. The team’s hottest scorer, Joel Eriksson Ek, also had a two-point night, giving him 10 points (4G, 6A) over a six-game point streak.
Adding Quinn Hughes to the blue line has been paying dividends early on for Minnesota, as the 26-year-old has two points in three games in his new sweater. He was held off the score sheet versus Columbus, but logged a season high 32:02 in ice-time, playing in all situations.
The Central Division is incredibly strong at the top, making the Wild the third-best team despite their great run. The three top teams in the division also sit one, two and three in the league standings, with the Wild still six points back of the Dallas Stars for second.
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