The Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild meet Thursday in NHL action at the Grand Casino Arena. Here’s a Wild vs. Blackhawks Prediction. This article will include a Wild vs. Blackhawks Pick.
Chicago Blackhawks Betting Preview
The Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Golden Knights and Wild, and they play the Avs next. The Blackhawks have lost 8 of their last 11 games.
The Chicago Blackhawks are averaging 2.61 goals per game and are scoring 19.2 percent of their power play opportunities. Tyler Bertuzzi leads Chicago with 28 goals, Connor Bedard has 37 assists and Frank Nazar has 107 shots on goal. Defensively, the Chicago Blackhawks are allowing 3.16 goals per game and are killing 84.5 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Spencer Knight has given up 120 goals on 1,295 shots faced, and Arvid Soderblom has allowed 72 goals on 580 shots.
Minnesota Wild Betting Preview
The Minnesota Wild beat the Blackhawks, lost to the Maple Leafs, and play the Stars next. The Wild have split their last 10 games.
The Minnesota Wild are averaging 3.28 goals per game and are scoring 25.1 percent of their power play opportunities. Kirill Kaprizov leads Minnesota with 38 goals, Matt Boldy has 37 assists and Joel Eriksson Ek has 173 shots on goal. Defensively, the Minnesota Wild are allowing 2.81 goals per game and are killing 79.2 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Filip Gustavsson has allowed 107 goals on 1,195 shots faced, and Jesper Wallstedt has given up 76 goals on 854 shots.
Why the Minnesota Wild will win
- The Wild have won each of their last nine home games against the Blackhawks.
- The Blackhawks have lost 11 of their last 12 games at Grand Casino Arena.
- The Wild have covered the puck line in four of their last five games against Western Conference opponents following an overtime win.
- The Wild have won the third period in each of their last seven night games against the Blackhawks following a road win.
Why the Chicago Blackhawks will win
- The underdogs have won five of the Wild’s last six games at Grand Casino Arena.
- The Wild have lost four of their last five games as home favorites.
- The Blackhawks have covered the puck line in each of their last six games against Central Division opponents.
- The Wild have failed to cover the puck line in 11 of their last 12 games as favorites against Central Division opponents.
- The Blackhawks have won the second period in four of their last five games when trailing after the first period.
Total Goals Facts
- Seven of the Blackhawks’ last eight road games have gone UNDER the total goals line.
- Seven of the Wild’s last eight night games against Central Division opponents have gone OVER the total goals line.
- Seven of the last eight Thursday night games between teams from the same division have gone UNDER the total goals line.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1’ market has hit in seven of the Wild’s last eight games following an overtime win.
- The ‘Over 2.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in five of the Blackhawks’ last six games.
Minnesota Wild Player Prop Facts
- Kirill Kaprizov has scored a goal in four of the Wild’s last five games against Central Division opponents.
- Quinn Hughes has recorded at least one assist in 10 of the Wild’s last 11 home games.
- Quinn Hughes ranks 1st in the league for average time on ice (27:44) this season.
Chicago Blackhawks Player Prop Facts
- Frank Nazar has scored a goal in each of the Blackhawks’ last three games against Central Division opponents.
- Connor Bedard has recorded at least one assist in each of the Blackhawks’ last four games against the Wild.
- Louis Crevier has recorded two assists against the Wild this season—the most against any opponent.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Minnesota Wild rank 5th in the league in power play percentage this season (25.11%).
- The Minnesota Wild rank 6th in the league for goals against per game this season (2.81).
- The Chicago Blackhawks rank 1st in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (84.50%).
- The Chicago Blackhawks rank 29th in the league for goals per game this season (2.61).
Wild vs Blackhawks Prediction
The Wild should be huge favorites and win this game. However, we’re getting two times our money with a young Blackhawks team that competes. The Blackhawks don’t always win but they’ve earned points in 6 of their last 8 games. The Wild have won 9 of the last 10 games against the Blackhawks, but the last 3 meetings made it past regulation. The Wild are also coming off horrible losses to the Flyers, Rangers, and Leafs. You can do worse than taking a shot in the dark with the Blackhawks at this price.