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SportsPulse: Former NHL player and current GM of the Minnesota Wild Bill Guerin discusses the state of physicality in the league and how players are being taught at a young age how and when to hit.
SportsPulse: Former NHL player and current GM of the Minnesota Wild Bill Guerin discusses the state of physicality in the league and how players are being taught at a young age how and when to hit.
The NHL Stanley Cup Qualifiers are here, the Wild will take on the Canucks tonight, stream all the NHL action here.
The Stanley Cup Qualifiers started on Saturday with five games on the slate. With the new playoff format for this season, we could see as many as 52 games over a nine-day stretch from now until August 9th.
The playoffs will take place in two hub cities, Toronto and Edmonton, with the Eastern Conference teams playing in Toronto and the Western Conference teams playing in Edmonton.
“There’s a chance that this is as good of hockey as I’ve ever seen,” said Paul Maurice, coach of the Winnipeg Jets.
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Round-Robin: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins, 3 p.m.
Best-of-5 Series: Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 8 p.m.
Best-of-5 Series: Arizona Coyotes vs, Nashville Predators, 2 p.m.
Round-Robin: St. Louis Blues vs. Colorado Avalanche, 6:30 p.m.
Best-of-5 Series: Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks, 10:30 p.m.
Want some action on the NHL? Place your legal sports bets in CO, IN, NJ, and WV at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice on Blues vs. Avalanche, visit SportsbookWire.com
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Previewing Tuesday’s Nashville Predators at Minnesota Wild sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Nashville Predators (32-25-8) stumble into Xcel Energy Center Tuesday on the heels of an 8-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers Monday to take on the Minnesota Wild (32-26-7). Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the Predators-Wild sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Juuse Saros vs. Alex Stalock
Saros draws Tuesday’s start after stopping all four shots he faced in relief of Pekka Rinne Monday. The 24-year-old ‘tender is 14-11-4 through 30 starts and six relief appearances with a .907 save percentage and 2.88 goals against average.
Stalock had a personal four-game winning streak snapped Sunday, allowing four goals on 30 shots in a 4-3 home loss to the Washington Capitals. He has taken over the No. 1 gig in Minnesota and is 18-10-4 with a .909 SV% and 2.64 GAA.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 11:20 a.m. ET.
Wild 5, Predators 2
The WILD (-139) make for an easy play against the reeling Predators (+115). While Saros offers new hope, Monday was an all-around atrocious effort on home ice for the Preds. Minnesota also enters with a stellar 18-11-5 record on home ice. It’s 6-3-1 across its last 10 games, but dropped the most recent game – Sunday’ to the Capitals.
The Predators won 4-0 Oct. 24 in Nashville in the season’s lone head-to-head meeting to date, but the Wild are playing the better hockey right now. Minnesota ranks ninth in the NHL in Corsi For Percentage (rate of total shot attempts) at 5-on-5 since Feb. 3 at 51.91%. Nashville ranks 18th in the same category at 49.39%.
There’s far greater value in backing the WILD (-1.5, +195) to win by at least 2 goals. The Wild have the home and rest advantages and can leapfrog the Preds in the Western Conference wild-card standings with a regulation win. Expect an inspired effort against a disheartened opponent.
Over/Under (O/U)
Lean to the OVER 5.5 (-134) with the odds pushing us in that direction as the most likely outcome. The Wild have gone 6-4 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games, while the Predators are 4-6 in the same span. Backing the Over follows the pick of taking the Wild to win by at least 2 goals.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 262-245
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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Previewing Friday’s Minnesota Wild at Columbus Blue Jackets sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Columbus Blue Jackets (31-20-14) host the Minnesota Wild (31-25-7) Friday at Nationwide Arena for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop, as they try to stick around in the Metropolitan Division playoff race. You can catch this game on ESPN+. We analyze the Capitals-Jets sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Devan Dubnyk vs. Joonas Korpisalo
Dubnyk is coming off a loss to the St. Louis Blues Sunday in which he allowed four goals on 26 shots. He is 11-15-2 on the season with a .892 save percentage and 3.34 goals against average.
Korpisalo comes into Friday at 18-10-4 through 31 starts and two relief appearances. He has a .914 save percentage and 2.48 goals against average. He returned to the net Monday to stop 14 of 15 shots in a win over the Ottawa Senators in his first start in nearly two months.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 10:10 a.m. ET.
Blue Jackets 3, Wild 1
The Wild (+105) are coming off back-to-back wins, including a 7-1 drubbing of the lowly Detroit Red Wings Thursday with backup G Alex Stalock in net. There is reason for concern since they exhausted their goal-scoring efforts heading into Nationwide Arena to face a much tougher BLUE JACKETS (-129) squad. Columbus is just 1-4-5 over its last 10 games, but four of its last five outings went to overtime or a shootout before a 5-4 regulation loss to these Wild Tuesday in the first half of the home-and-home.
Side with the better goaltender and take the Jackets to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout for a $7.50 profit on a $10 bet. No team has more extra-time losses than Columbus this season. It’s a luck-based trend that needs to be bucked.
Get better value by backing the BLUE JACKETS (-1.5, +220) to win by at least 2 goals at home against a tired opponent with a lackluster goaltender. The Jackets dropped the first head-to-head meeting 5-4 with third-stringer Matiss Kivlenieks between the pipes. Korpisalo will turn the tides.
Over/Under (O/U)
Play the UNDER 5.5 (-115) after Minnesota’s goal eruption Thursday. The Red Wings aren’t a good comparison and do little to help measure a team’s success. The Jackets are 7-3 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games while the Wild are 5-5 across the same stretch. Korpisalo has allowed just one or two goals in each of his last five outings dating back to mid-December.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 258-241
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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Previewing Thursday’s Minnesota Wild at Detroit Red Wings sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.
[jwplayer wcHtPTSE]
The Minnesota Wild (30-25-7) square off with the Detroit Red Wings (15-46-4) Thursday at Little Caesars Arena at 7:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Wild-Red Wings sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Devan Dubnyk vs. Jimmy Howard
Dubnyk was an All-Star last season, but he has fallen on hard times, while G Alex Stalock has been much more effective. However, Dubnyk is expected to make the start at LCA, and he’ll get a crack at the league’s worst team in an effort to build up his confidence. He enters 11-15-2 with a 3.34 goals against average and .892 save percentage.
Howard has been horrific this season, going 2-22-2 with a 4.08 GAA and .886 save percentage. He has the league’s worst offense in front of him, which doesn’t help. Of course, allowing north of four goals a game doesn’t help either.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 5:45 a.m. ET.
Wild 4, Red Wings 2
The Wild (-213) have been struggling, so even a date with the league’s worst team, the Red Wings (+175), isn’t necessarily a slam-dunk play. In fact, if you were to take a flier on either team, Detroit is the better option. Still, the best play is to AVOID.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Wild ML returns a profit of $4.69 if they win, while a $10 wager on the Red Wings ML results in a profit of $17.50.
If you’re going to make a small-unit wager on this game, the WILD (-1.5, +125) are a better play. The Wild won their last road game and covered the puck line in a 5-3 victory at the Edmonton Oilers Friday. Five of their past nine wins have results in puck-line covers, too. The Red Wings (+1.5, -154) are a little too expensive if you’re looking for a little insurance.
The OVER 5.5 (-121) is worth a roll of the dice, going 10-3-1 in the past 14 meetings between these sides in the Motor City. The Over is also 4-0-1 in the past five for Minnesota against the East, and 8-3 in the past 11 on the road.
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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Previewing Thursday’s New York Rangers at Minnesota Wild sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.
The New York Rangers (28-23-4) visit the Minnesota Wild (27-23-6) Thursday at Xcel Energy Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the Rangers-Wild sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Henrik Lundqvist vs. Devan Dubnyk
Lundqvist is 10-11-3 through 25 starts and three relief appearances with a .907 save percentage and 3.12 goals against average. He took the loss Feb. 3 against the Dallas Stars while allowing four goals on just 15 shots.
Dubnyk comes into Thursday with a 10-14-2 record through 25 starts and two relief appearances. He owns a .893 SV% and 3.33 GAA. He stopped 30 of 33 shots in a loss to the Colorado Avalanche Sunday.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 10:15 a.m. ET.
Rangers 4, Wild 3
The RANGERS (+120) are a strong value play on the road. They’re 6-4 across their last 10 games and a respectable 12-11-2 on the road for the season as they enter Thursday on a two-game winning streak. They beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 Sunday and topped the Winnipeg Jets by the same score Tuesday.
The Wild (-143) shouldn’t be favored by this much, despite their strong 17-8-4 record on home ice. They’re 7-3 across their last 10 games and coming off a 4-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday but with G Alex Stalock in net. Dubnyk has been the weaker of the two goaltenders all season.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Rangers to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $12.
The RANGERS (+1.5, -227) should also be backed with 1 goal of insurance in the event of a loss. New York is 35-20 against the spread on the season and 16-9 on the road. Minnesota is 30-26 ATS overall but just 15-14 at home. The Rangers earned a 3-2 overtime victory in the first head-to-head meeting of the season, Nov. 25.
The OVER 5.5 (-143) is Thursday’s best play between two volatile goaltenders. The Rangers are just 2-7-1 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games and the Wild are 3-5-2 over the same stretch, but the Rangers have scored at least four goals in three of their last four games. The Wild have scored three times in four of their last five outings.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 227-209
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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Previewing Tuesday’s Vegas Golden Knights at Minnesota Wild sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Vegas Golden Knights (28-21-8) and Minnesota Wild (26-23-6) do battle at XCel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday. We analyze the Golden Knights-Wild sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Marc-Andre Fleury vs. Devan Dubnyk
Fleury has tailed off lately, going just 3-5-2 across his past 10 starts dating back to Jan. 7. He hasn’t won consecutive starts since a four-game personal win streak from Dec. 28-Jan. 4. The last time he faced the Wild, however, he allowed just two goals on 26 shots in a Dec. 17 win in Las Vegas. Fleury also won his only start in St. Paul last season, allowing only one goal on 30 shots.
Dubnyk was on the short end of 3-2 decision against the Colorado Avalanche Sunday, so he’ll be looking to pick himself up off the mat. He has just one win in his past four starts at home, and that victory came against the lowly Detroit Red Wings. Perhaps Alex Stalock gets a chance instead. He is 13-8-3 with a 2.85 goals against average and .905 save percentage, and he might give Minnesota a better chance. He allowed three goals on 29 shots in that 3-2 loss to Vegas earlier this season.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 10 a.m. ET.
Golden Knights 3, Wild 1
The GOLDEN KNIGHTS (-149) are favored on the road, and they’re clearly the better team. The amount of your wager should depend on whom the Wild (+125) settle upon in goal. If it’s Dubnyk, bet the Golden Knights a little more heavily. If it’s Stalock, be a little more cautious. The road team is 4-1 in the past five meetings in this head-to-head series.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Golden Knights to grab the road win returns a profit of $6.70, while a $10 wager on the Wild results in a profit of $12.50.
The GOLDEN KNIGHTS (-1.5, +180) are tempting at a potential return of nearly double money. Again, the risk is considerably less with Dubnyk in the crease rather than Stalock. In fact, if it’s Dubnyk, roll the dice on a small-unit puck-line play. If it’s Stalock, AVOID.
UNDER 5.5 (+125) is worth a play, as it is 3-0-1 in the previous four meetings in this series. Minnesota has struggled offensively, too, with the Under going 9-4-3 in their past 16 games at XCel, and 3-0-1 in the past four games overall.
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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Previewing Sunday’s Colorado Avalanche at Minnesota Wild sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Colorado Avalanche (31-16-6) visit the Minnesota Wild (26-22-6) Sunday at Xcel Energy Center for a 7:30 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Avalanche-Wild sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Pavel Francouz vs. Devan Dubnyk
Francouz hasn’t made an appearance since he stopped 22 of 25 shots in a win over the lowly Detroit Red Wings Jan. 20. The rookie is 12-4-2 through 17 starts and three relief appearances with a 2.45 goals against average and .924 save percentage.
Dubnyk stopped 31 of 33 shots in a win over the Dallas Stars Friday. He is 10-13-2 on the season with a .892 SV% and 3.34 GAA. He has near identical save percentages at home and on the road, but his GAA drops by more than half a goal, as he gets better defensive support on home ice.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 9 a.m. ET.
Avalanche 4, Wild 3
Both sides ride three-game winning streaks into the head-to-head Central Division rivalry matchup. I’m backing the AVALANCHE (-128) even though they played Saturday and the Wild (+105) had the night off after beating the Stars Friday.
Minnesota is 16-7-4 on home ice, while Colorado is 17-9-2 on the road. The Avs have a goal differential of plus-42 to the minus-11 rating of the Wild. Take the higher-seeded team without enough odds-based incentive to back the Wild.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Avalanche to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $7.80.
Side with the chalk and back the WILD (+1.5, -250) to lose by just a goal or win outright. Minnesota leads the head-to-head season series 2-1, having won both of the last two meetings by scores of 6-4 and 3-2. While I like the Avs to pull even in the series Sunday and win outright, the Wild will keep it close.
The Wild are 28-26 against the spread overall and 13-14 at home. The Avalanche are 31-22 ATS overall and 18-10 on the road.
Back the OVER 5.5 (-149) with a rusty Francouz and a shaky Dubnyk between the pipes for the Avs and Wild, respectively. The Avalanche are 6-4 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games, while the Wild are 4-4-2 against the number. Minnesota has scored at least three goals in three straight games and Colorado had scored at least three in six straight games before being held to two Saturday by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 211-203
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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Previewing Friday’s Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Dallas Stars (30-18-5) host the Minnesota Wild (25-22-6) Friday at American Airlines Center for an 8:30 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Wild-Stars sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Devan Dubnyk vs. Ben Bishop
The Wild are 9-13-2 through 23 starts and two relief appearances from Devan Dubnyk, who is projected to start. He has a .890 save percentage and 3.40 goals against average. He allowed six goals on 34 shots in a loss to the Boston Bruins his last time out.
Bishop is 18-11-4 through 35 starts and one relief appearance. He has a .925 SV% and a 2.36 GAA. He surrendered four goals on 41 shots in an overtime loss to the New York Islanders Tuesday.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 12:20 p.m. ET.
Stars 5, Wild 2
The Wild (+155) are coming off a 4-2 home win over the Vancouver Canucks Thursday with backup Alex Stalock in net. It was the final game of a seven-game homestand. They finished 5-2, including a 7-0 win over the Stars Jan. 18. While they’re now 16-7-4 at home for the season, they’re just 9-15-2 on the road.
The STARS (-189) will be our pick with a 16-8-2 home record. They’ve been off since the overtime loss to the Islanders and are 5-4-1 across their last 10 games. Dallas beat Minnesota 6-3 Oct. 29 in the only head-to-head meeting of the season thus far at the AAC.
Back the STARS (-1.5, +150) to win by at least two goals as they host a Wild team playing on the road for the first time since Jan. 14. Dallas is 28-25 against the spread overall and 12-14 ATS at home for the season. Minnesota is 27-26 ATS overall and 14-12 on the road.
The Stars have been playing plenty of free hockey of late, going to overtime in three of their last five games, but they’ll handle their Central Division rivals Friday while working with the home, rest and goaltending advantages.
Take the OVER 5.5 (+110). Two of the three meetings this season eclipsed this projection, and while Anton Khudobin was in net for the Stars in both games, both teams are plenty familiar with each other as they complete their season series. Take the plus-money.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 207-196
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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Previewing Saturday’s Boston Bruins at Minnesota Wild sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Boston Bruins (30-10-12) and Minnesota Wild (23-21-6) lock horns at 8 p.m. ET at Xcel Energy Center. We analyze the Bruins-Wild sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Jaroslav Halak vs. Devan Dubnyk
Halak is expected to man the crease after Tuukka Rask was between the pipes for Friday’s 2-1 win in Winnipeg. Head coach Bruce Cassidy likes to rotate his goalies evenly, especially so with a back-to-back set. Halak is 12-6-6 with a 2.47 goals against average and .918 save percentage with three shutouts.
Dubnyk has managed a 9-12-2 record, 3.28 GAA and .893 save percentage with one shutout overall this season. He has been especially poor against Eastern Conference teams this season, going 2-5-1 with a 4.14 GAA and dismal .865 save percentage.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 11:20 a.m. ET.
Bruins 5, Wild 2
The BRUINS (-134) can be had at a rather reasonable price, most likely because they’re playing in the second end of a back-to-back. They should be fairly rested after a lengthy all-star break, so playing on consecutive days isn’t as bad as during the regular grind.
The Wild (+110) are coming off a win, but they’re just 2-5 in their past seven games after a victory. Minnesota is also 0-5 in the past five tries against Boston, and 1-4 in its past five tries at home against the B’s.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Bruins to win returns a profit of $7.50, while a $10 wager on the Wild results in a profit of $11.
The BRUINS (-1.5, +200) are worth a small-unit play against the struggling Dubnyk, especially since the offense managed just two goals Friday. They should be ready for a breakout performance against a shaky tendy. The Wild (+1.5, -250) are not worth playing either on the moneyline or puck line, as they’re just too shaky lately.
OVER 5.5 (-121) is worth a play, and the B’s have the potential to do it all on their own if the offense is hitting like it’s capable. The Under is 4-1 in Boston’s past five, including Friday’s game, but 3-1-1 in the past five on the road. The Over is also 3-1-1 in the past five overall for the Wild, and 5-1-1 in their past seven following a victory.
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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