The Minnesota Wild (43-21-12) and Detroit Red Wings (40-28-8) meet in the NHL today. Puck drop is set for 1:00 p.m. EDT at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich. The game will be broadcast live on TNT.
The Wild are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 5.5 (-133o / +110u). The Wild are a -119 favorite to win outright, while the Red Wings are -101 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Wild vs. Red Wings predictions and NHL picks.
Wild vs. Red Wings Odds, Pick
| Wild Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +222 | 5.5 -133o / +110u | -119 |
| Red Wings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -262 | 5.5 -133o / +110u | -101 |
- Wild vs. Red Wings Spread: Wild -1.5 (+222), Red Wings +1.5 (-262)
- Wild vs. Red Wings Over/Under: 5.5 (-133o / +110u)
- Wild vs. Red Wings Moneyline: Wild -119, Red Wings -101
Wild vs Red Wings Polymarket Odds
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Current odds: WIL 52% · RED 49% · NHL
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Wild vs. Red Wings Preview
Minnesota Wild
Minnesota has a massive game on Thursday against Dallas as it looks to chase down the Stars for the second spot in the Central Division, where home ice could end up being the deciding factor in that first-round series.
First, though, the Wild wrap up a quick two-game road trip in Detroit this afternoon.
The Wild have struggled to finish chances lately, but rank second in xGF/60 at 3.96 over their last 10 games.
Some of that ties back to working through injuries, with Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Marcus Foligno all missing time in recent weeks. All three are back in the lineup, which gives Minnesota considerably more to work with up front.
In addition, Ryan Hartman has been a bright spot and seems to elevate his game around this time of year. He has found the net in each of his last four games, with multiple goals in two of them, and leads the team in points over the last 10.
Jesper Wallstedt drew the start yesterday against Ottawa, so Filip Gustavsson will get the nod today.
The last five starts have been a rollercoaster for Gustavsson, posting a .894 SV% and 3.01 GAA. Three of those outings came against quality opponents in Boston, Tampa Bay, and Dallas, surrendering five and four goals to the first two while stopping 29 of 30 against the Stars.
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit is entering must-win territory after a 4-1 loss to the Eastern Conference's last-place Rangers yesterday. The Wings are one of four teams tied with Ottawa in the logjam for the second Wild Card spot in the East.
After a good start to the season, things have gone sideways. Detroit is 9-12-4 over its last 25 games, winning consecutive games just once in that stretch and dropping five of its last seven.
The 5-on-5 numbers have been a problem all year, with the Wings ranking 30th in GF/60 at 2.05, sitting at a 49.2 xGoals%, and carrying a minus-21 goal differential.
Outside of Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, and Lucas Raymond, there hasn’t been much to work with offensively lately. DeBrincat is on a seven-game point streak with five goals in that span, while Dylan Larkin, who returned from a lower-body injury a little over a week ago, looks far from 100%.
With that said, Detroit has been able to lean on its defense to some extent, ranking 12th in GA/60 this season, but that has dropped off recently, allowing 3.09 GA/60 over its last 10 games.
In net, John Gibson has started 14 straight, but the back-to-back puts Cam Talbot in line to make his first start since March 4.
Talbot had just one start in March but came on in relief of Gibson four times, posting a .907 SV% and a 2.45 GAA with 34:18 of ice time per game across those five appearances.
Wild vs. Red Wings Prediction
I think there's a slight discount on Minnesota playing the second half of a road back-to-back, which is understandable.
The Wild handled a desperate Ottawa team relatively comfortably yesterday, winning 4-1, and will see a similar effort from Detroit, which is also playing its second game in as many days.
The desperation angle counts both ways here, though. Minnesota is fully healthy and has every reason to treat this game with urgency, holding a game in hand over Dallas with a massive matchup against the Stars on Thursday.
That second spot in the Central Division is very much in play, and the Wild know it.
Now back to full strength, Minnesota should start living up to that second-ranked xGF/60 mark.
They are 38-5-6 in the 49 games this season where they've scored three or more goals. I expect them to get there this afternoon and come away with one in the win column.
Pick: Wild Moneyline (-115)
