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The Edmonton Oilers will head to Minneapolis on Thursday to face the Minnesota Wild. It's a battle of Western Conference contenders as we share our NHL odds series and make an Oilers-Wild prediction and pick.
The Wild have won 38 games out of 54 recent contests against the Oilers, including one overtime winner. Also, the teams have averaged 5.7 combined goals per game on average over the contests.
This will be the second meeting of the season between the Oilers and Wild. Substantially, the Wild won 5-3 in Edmonton on November 22, 2024. The Wild are 8-2 over the past 10 games against the Oilers. Amazingly, the Wild have won six games in a row against the Oilers at the Xcel Energy Center. The Wild have won by two or more goals in four of those six contests.
Here are the Oilers-Wild NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Oilers-Wild Odds
Edmonton Oilers -1.5 (+172)
Moneyline: -138
Minnesota Wild: +1.5 (-215)
Moneyline: +115
Over: 5.5 (-140)
Under: 5.5 (+114)
How To Watch Oilers vs Wild
Time: 9 PM ET/6 PM PT
TV: FDSS and ESPN+
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Oilers Could Cover the Spread/Win
It's no secret that Connor McDavid wants to win, and how disappointing the finish to last year's Stanley Cup was for him. Therefore, the fight continues for a team that struggled to start the season but is slowly picking things up again. After a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Oilers showed how they could win a game of grit and defense on a day when the offense did not do well.
That has been the case far too often this season, as the Oilers rank 18th in goals and 20th in assists. Furthermore, they are just 27th in shooting percentage. It has also been a weird year on the extra-man attack, as the Oilers are just 17th on the powerplay.
Leon Draisaitl has been remarkable, with 20 goals and 18 assists, after notching a goal and an assist against the Bolts. He has also been a faceoff king, winning 289 draws and losing 216. McDavid continues to set the tone. So far, he has 14 goals and 24 assists, including five snipes on the powerplay. Defenseman Evan Bouchard has remained solid, with six goals and 14 assists. However, the Oilers need a lot more from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman, as both have struggled this season.
Stuart Skinner will likely get the start in net and comes in with a record of 10-7-2 with a 2.81 goals-against average and a save percentage of .895. He will back a defense that is ninth in goals against. However, killing penalties has been a problem as the Oilers rank just 27th on the penalty kill.
The Oilers will cover the spread if they can score early and take the crowd out of the game. Then, they must defend the crease and not allow easy pucks to get to Skinner.
Why the Wild Could Cover the Spread/Win
Throughout the season, it's been established early that the Wild are contenders as they have gotten off to a scorching start. Amazingly, they started 19-5-4 this season and notched another win on Tuesday, overcoming the Utah Hockey Team 5-4.
The Wild are 11th in goals and 16th in assists. Also, they are 12th in shooting percentage. But they have struggled to do well on the extra-man attack, ranking just 20th on the powerplay.
Kirill Kaprizov has continued to be one of the best players in the world. Amazingly, he has 18 goals and 25 assists through 27 games. Matt Boldy has been good, too, raking up 12 goals and 16 assists. Likewise, Marco Rossi has added 10 goals and 14 assists.
Filip Gustavsson likely gets the start in net and comes in with a record of 14-4-3 with a 2.08 goals-against average and a save percentage of .927. He will back a defense that is first in goals against. Yet, they have struggled to kill penalties, ranking 29th on the penalty kill.
The Wild will cover the spread if Kaprizov gets loose and finds some scoring chances. Then, they must defend the net and not allow McDavid or Draisaitl to get extra chances.
Final Oilers-Wild Prediction & Pick
The Oilers are 10-18 against the spread, while the Wild are 15-13 against the odds. Moreover, the Oilers are 6-7 against the spread on the road, while the Wild are 3-8 against the odds at home. The Oilers are 11-14-3 against the over/under, while the Wild are 12-14-2 against the over/under.
The Wild are on fire right now and look amazing at home. Additionally, it's hard to ignore their success against the Oilers. I am rolling with the Wild to cover the spread at home.
Final Oilers-Wild Prediction & Pick: Wild +1.5 (-215)
