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The Minnesota Wild and Florida Panthers offer an intriguing matchup. Although they used different strategies, they have succeeded so far this season. The Panthers' defense and goaltending have been struggling while their top-heavy offense carries them. Meanwhile, the Wild have been getting elite goaltending, but their offense isn't scoring at an elite rate. The Panthers have won six of the last ten meetings between these teams, while the total has also gone over in six. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Wild-Panthers prediction and pick.
Here are the Wild-Panthers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Wild-Panthers Odds
Minnesota Wild: +1.5 (-210)
Moneyline: +125
Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+175)
Moneyline: -150
Over: 5.5 (-125)
Under: 5.5 (+105)
How To Watch Wild vs. Panthers
Time: 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT
TV: FanDuel Sports Networks, SCRIPPS
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Wild Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Panthers may be the defending Stanley Cup Champions, but the Wild had their number in 2023-24. The Wild shut out the Panthers in the season's opening week, and then they won a 6-4 scoring battle in January. It was the first win for Minnesota over Florida since 2019, as the Panthers were on a five-game win streak.
The Wild earned a point in all five games this season. They started the year with a 3-2 victory over the Blue Jackets before losing two straight games after regulation time. They've bounced back with back-to-back wins over the St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Filip Gustavsson has taken over the goaltending duties from Marc-Andre Fleury. Gustavsson started the year with a 31-save victory over the Blue Jackets before Fleury allowed four goals on 34 shots in the following game. Gustavsson has started three-straight for the Wild, allowing just four goals on 67 shots. He has a 1.49 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage.
Why the Panthers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Panthers hope Matthew Tkachuk will be ready to return to the lineup after an illness has kept him out since the season's third game. Florida has been doing fine without him, tallying seven of a possible ten points, but it'll be hard to keep it going with him and Aleksander Barkov out of the lineup.
The Panthers have an acceptable 4-2-1 record, mainly due to their offensive output. Florida is averaging 3.29 goals per game while allowing 3.43. Spencer Knight has taken back the backup goaltender role, and the Panthers need him to be better. He owns a 3.55 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage. Sergei Bobrovsky has a 2.95 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage. The goaltenders could benefit from this matchup, as the Wild average three goals per game.
Sam Reinhart stepped in after Tkachuk and Barkov suffered injuries and has been tallying points at an elite rate. Reinhart has five goals and seven assists in seven games. Anton Lundell sits second with eight points, and Sam Bennett has seven. Evan Rodrigues is the next closest player with three points, but the Reinhart trio could carry the team to victory.
Final Wild-Panthers Prediction & Pick
The NHL is going in a different direction where offense is king and talent is winning over everything. It's hard to change the way of thinking about that, which makes it difficult to back the Panthers in this game. If Gustavsson is in the net for the Wild, Minnesota should have the upper hand and not be the underdog in this matchup.
Final Wild-Panthers Prediction & Pick: Wild ML (+125)
