Looking to win big? The Wild and Avalanche face off at 9:00 ET on ESPN+. The Avalanche are hosting the game at Ball Arena in Denver, CO. The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 6.5 goals and the Avalanche are the -1.5 favorite to win at home vs. the Wild.

MINNESOTA WILD VS COLORADO AVALANCHE BETTING PICK

The Pick: Colorado Avalanche -1.5

This game will be played at Ball Arena at 9:00 ET on Friday, March 8th.

WHY BET THE COLORADO AVALANCHE:

  • Coming in as 1.5 goal favorites, our projections have the Avalanche picking up a 4-3 win.
  • Take the Avalanche on the moneyline
  • On the spread, we like Wild (+1.5)

Does Minnesota Have A Chance at Ball Arena?

Heading into tonight’s game, the Wild are in 12th place in the Western Conference with a record of 30-27-6. In the Central Division, Minnesota is in 6th place, but they have lost two straight games as the underdog.

On the road, the Wild have gone 15-15-2 this season, and they have been the underdog in 35 of their 63 games. Over their last ten games, Minnesota has a record of 5-5.

On the season, Minnesota has gone 33-30 against the puck line, including going 5-5 in their last ten games. Overall, the Wild have gone just 11-17 against the puck line when favored and have 20 wins by multiple goals.

Minnesota’s average scoring margin on the road this year is at -0.2 goals per game, and their road puck line record is at 18-14. In their last ten road games, the Wild have gone 6-4 against the puck line.

This season, Minnesota’s games have an average of 6.5 goals per game. The average over/under number for the season is 6.2. The Wild come in with an over/under performance of 31-28-4.

Through their last three road contests, the Wild offense has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing an average of 3. Minnesota posted an overall record of 1-2 while going 1-2 ATS.

When looking at their offense, the Wild have an average of 3.1 goals per game this season, positioning themselves 17th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are ranked 19th in the league. The Wild went 17-12 in games where they had more shots than their opponents. However, in games with fewer shots on goal, their record was 13-15.

Minnesota will be looking for a good game from Kirill Kaprizov who leads the team in scoring with 30 goals, ranking 19th in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, Kaprizov has 37 assists this season.

The Avalanche defense is currently 14th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 29.5 shots per game against Colorado. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 9th with 4 shutouts.

Goalie Filip Gustavsson gets the start and has made 36 starts this season. His record at this point is 17-15, and his save percentage is 0.787%.

Will the Avalanche Defense Show Up at Home?

At home this season, the Avalanche have been dominant, going 25-6-0, and they have won three straight games at home. In the Western Conference, Colorado is in fourth place with a record of 39-20-5.

Over their last ten games, the Avalanche are 6-4, and they have gone 4-1 over their last five games. In games where they are favored, Colorado is 36-14-5 this season.

Colorado comes in with a puck line record of 31-33 overall and 20-11 at home. They have gone 5-5 against the puck line in their last ten games and have 30 wins by multiple goals this year.

So far, the Avalanche have been favored in 55 games and have a puck line record of 28-27 as the favorite. Their average scoring margin this year is +.7 goals per game, and they have gone 4-1 against the puck line in their last five games.

The average goal total for Colorado’s games is sitting at 6.8. The average over/under line for the season is 6.4. The Avalanche come in with an over/under record of 36-26-2.

Across the Wild last three road games, the team averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 3. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 1-2, while going 1-2 straight-up.

The Avalanche come into the game scoring an average of 3.7 goals per game, putting them 1st in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 4th in the league. Colorado’s offense comes into the game ranked 2nd in power play goals. And in terms of shorthanded goals, they are 10th in the NHL.

Colorado’s leading scorer is Nathan MacKinnon. So far, he has 40 goals which is 4th in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, MacKinnon has 69 assists this season.

In terms of defense, the Avalanche head into the game ranked 14th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.5 shots per game against Colorado. So far, they are 9th in shutouts, achieving 4 shutouts.

Entering the game, goalie Alexandar Georgiev has started 50 games this season. His current record stands at 32-15, and his save percentage is 0.981%.