The Minnesota Wild (5-2-0) face the Colorado Avalanche (3-4-0) Saturday at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo. Puck drop is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Wild vs. Avalanche odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
The Wild opened the season a perfect 4-0-0, but they’re just 1-2-0 across the past five. They’re coming off a 4-1 loss at Seattle Thursday. The Under has hit in the past two outings, and Minnesota is averaging just 2.0 goals per game over the previous three contests.
The Avalanche posted a much-needed win in St. Louis Thursday, 4-3. In its three wins, Colorado has scored exactly four goals in each contest. In the four losses, the Avs are averaging just 2.0 goals per game while allowing 4.5 goals per outing.
Wild at Avalanche odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:45 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Wild +140 (bet $100 to win $140) | Avalanche -175 (bet $175 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Wild +1.5 (-190) | Avalanche -1.5 (+145)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -125 | U: +100)
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Wild at Avalanche projected goalies
Cam Talbot (5-1-0, 2.47 GAA, .914 SV%) vs. Darcy Kuemper (3-3-0, 3.19 GAA, .893 SV%)
Talbot was surprised by the expansion Kraken Thursday in Seattle, although he allowed just two goals on 36 shots while the home side netted a pair of empty-net goals to make the score look worse than it was. He has allowed two or fewer goals in four of his six outings.
Kuemper coughed up three goals on 18 shots in a 4-3 win in St. Louis, his second straight road win. However, he is just 1-2-0 in three starts so far at home for his new organization.
Wild at Avalanche odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Avalanche 4, Wild 2
Money line
The AVALANCHE (-175) are a strong play on home ice against the visiting Wild (+140), a team they have dominated over the years. Colorado is 7-3 in the past 10 meetings at Ball Arena, and the home side has won five of the previous seven battles overall in this series.
Against the spread
The AVALANCHE -1.5 (+145) are worth a shot on the puck line, although they have covered just once in their three wins to date. That puck line win came Oct. 13 against Chicago in the regular-season opener. But given Colorado’s dominance in this series, the Avs are the play. Colorado covered the most two recent home games against Minnesota, outscoring them 11-1 last March 18-20.
Over/Under
OVER 5.5 (-125) is the lean here based upon the series trends. The Over has connected in each of the past five head-to-head meetings. While the Under is 4-0 in the past four road games for Minnesota, the Over is 5-2-1 in the past eight games overall for Colorado.
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